Coast

The casual cyclist looks at most organized rides and thinks: Looks like fun — if I could ride 64 miles.

Alas, most rides focus on the century mark, be it metric (64 miles) or English (100 miles). True, they often have shorter options, but the atmosphere can be competitive, intimidating, even, to the more casual rider.

Not so with Saturday’s 27th Annual River-to-Sea Bike Ride from downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach. The “slow-paced” ride begins at Bailey’s Park at 8 a.m. and follows the old Beach Car Line, now the River-to-the-Sea Bikeway, to Wrightsville Beach and back. While riding is in traffic, there will be police support, and folks who don’t think they can make the return trip and catch a ride back on WAVE Transit.

Could this ride be any more tempting? Yes: It’s free.

Vital Stats: 27th Annual River to Sea Bike Ride, Saturday, 8 a.m., Bailey’s Park, downtown Wilmington. Free, but registration is required, starting onsite at 7:30 a.m. For more info go here.

Saturday forecast: The day starts at 60 degrees and climbs to 76 under sunny skies.

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Looking ahead: Pier-to-Pier Swim, Saturday, May 21, Wrightsville Beach. More info here.

Piedmont

You have the best of intentions to be punctual, you try to be on time. And yet, you always see to arrive 10 minutes late, sometimes too late for, say, the hike that is now 10 minutes down the trail.

All the more reason to do Sunday’s 2 p.m. Jomeokee Hike at Pilot Mountain State Park. This time, if you’re 10 minutes late, you can catch the 3 p.m. version of the same hike, an interpretive hike looking at the park’s history, geology, flora and fauna. The like is less than a hike on trail that circles the Big Pinnacle.

Logistics: Jomeokee Hike, Sunday, May 8, 2 p.m. and again at 3 p.m., Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. More info here.

Sunday forecast: Overcast with a high of 81.

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Looking ahead: Retraining Smokey the Bear, Pilot Mountain State Park, Saturday, May 28. More info here.

Mountains

We race for many reasons. Sometimes we like the challenge of the course. Sometimes we like the cause. Sometimes it’s the opportunity for a PR.

And sometimes it’s because of the t-shirt. Such is the case with Sunday’s Falafel 5K at the Asheville Jewish Community Center in honor of Israel Independence Day. Just having the word “falafel” on a t-shirt is worth it. Stick around afterward and get a free falafel, listen to live music, enjoy Hi-Wire beer, a wine-tasting and more.

Logistics: Falafel 5K, Sunday, May 8, 10 a.m., Asheville Jewish Community Center, Asheville. $30. More info here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny; the day starts at 59 degrees, climbs to 81.

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Looking ahead: Down Hill @ Dawn Half Marathon, Ridgecrest Conference Center, Black Mountain, June 4. More info here.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.