The 2018 edition of the Healthy Newton Omnium is ready for you! Newton County is less than 30 miles east of Atlanta. The volunteers of Healthy Newton are generally from Rockdale, Newton, Morgan and Walton counties. We put on races and benefit rides in our counties showcasing the great low traffic riding we love. You can see 200 year old mansions in town or 200 hundred year old farm houses out where we ride and race. Goals for this race are to raise money for our Newton Trails efforts and safe road markings.

Trails excitement in Newton and Rockdale counties! In the Spring of 2013 Newton opened its Eastside trail which links the Eastside High School to the Covington library. Newton Trails kept the nudges on Newton County and Covington to complete the trail. It has seen lots of traffic since opening. Our latest Newton project is the 14 mile Covington to Newborn rails to trails. Newton Trails has aquired the permission to use the railbeds. Now we start the major fundraising project to dress the railbeds. In Rockdale County we have seen new trails heading into Downtown Old Town Conyers. Off of Highway 138 a new trail was recently opened that connect to the Arabia Mountain trails. The Downtown to the Arabia Mountain trail via the Monastery is open.

This year we have one sponsor bicycle shop. Ctown Bikes in Conyers. A great bike shop with helpful staff. This year we have one sponsoring USAC club Fulton Fliers/Toyota Forklift. Volunteers from Newton Trails, Covington Conyers Cycling Club aka C4 and the Conyers-Rockdale Bike & Trail Coalition will be in various positions.

The race is quite junior friendly where a junior can choose to race the junior classes which are generally shorter than the open classes but on the same roads. It is also masters Cat 4-5 friendly. The masters Cat 1-3 have their own races.

Course description: All races are in Newton County just a few miles east of Atlanta south of I-20. The Saturday morning time trial is a rolling course on the east side of the county starting in Downtown Newborn. Everyone races the same clockwise loop approximately 10 km in length.

If you take the scenic route to the crit course at Newton High School you could drive past some mansions on Floyd Street near Downtown Covington with the historic courthouse in the square. Lots of good eateries around the square. The Saturday afternoon crit course is 10 minutes west of the square. .5 mile four left turn course in the north parking lot of Newton High School, 1 Ram Way, Covington, GA 30014. Note there is no parking on the grass. Plenty of parking in the south parking lot.

The Sunday road race is back over towards the east side of the county in Downtown Newborn off Highway 142. About 28 miles long. Lots of gentle rollers, false flats, turns and a few punchy short steep climbs. Newton County Deputies at all major turns or road crossings. Junior course is a shorter version with the same start and finish. Downtown Newborn has at least one eatery open.

Omnium info: You have to do all three races to be in contention. We pay three deep for the money classes. Prizes or medals for the prizes and medals classes. Scoring: elapsed time for all three events.

We will try to avoid any combining of classes. Last year we had a good turnout so there was never a concern about combined classes. Minimum class size of 5. No mixing of women's and men's classes. Note that the USA Cycling rules say the Cat 5 race has a limit of 50 riders.

Preregistration is a big help. Avoid the day of registration fee. Online registration ends 11:59 PM EDT June 7, 2018. $10 late fee per on site reg. https://www.usacycling.org/register/2018-1830/a>

Volunteers Needed! We are looking for volunteers for the Sunday race. We need turn marshals and wheel trucks. Send me an email or call 404-643-8863 if you want to help out. -Jim Behning, race organizer