Competition heats up as local entrepreneurs work to submit their big idea Gauntlet participants complete 10-week course Tags: VINTON, Va. – A local competition that could help shape our local economy is heating up. After 10-weeks of mentoring and online classes, dozens of local entrepreneurs have finished the final week of the Gauntlet. This year, those classes were virtual and were offered to more entrepreneurs in the region than ever before, especially in the Bedford area. At the start of the program, more than 100 people signed up. Although classes may be finished, entrepreneurs are hard at work to finish their business plans that will be entered for judging. It’s a process that takes months of research and planning.