RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Richmond is in the running for the “Best River Town” in the nation.

Virginia’s capital city is among the 10 finalist cities in the competition. The others include Hood River in Oregon, Milwaukee, Asheville, N.C., Nashville, and Ithaca, N.Y.

The competition is sponsored by American Rivers, a conservation organization, and the publication Outside America.

The James River flows through Richmond, offering fishing, kayaking, swimming and an array of attractions along its banks, including extreme sports and concerts.

The competition was launched this week and votes are being collected online through July 10. The winning town will be featured on the October 2012 cover of Outside and will be featured on a segment of Outside Television.

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