Last year the new course at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County (half-hour outside of Birmingham), located in the southernmost part of the Appalachian Chain, was praised by competitors as being one of the most fun, fast, scenic and difficult on the XTERRA schedule.
It starts with a swim in the warm water of Double Oak Lake – two 750-meter laps separated by a short beach shuffle in-between.
From there the long, single-loop mountain bike course starts at about 500 feet elevation, twists, turns, and rolls through the forest for seven miles then begins a gradual 700-foot climb to the summit. The descent is a fast, wild ride highlighted by the notorious “blood rock” section – a series of tricky to maneuver, uneven and jagged rocks.
“I think this is the best race venue ever,” said XTERRA Pro Jamie Whitmore after last year’s race. “It mixes East Coast mountain biking with tight turns, roots and rocks with a fast descent and rock garden area that’s totally West Coast. It’s just a blast!”
The run is simply punishing, with four major climbs – each progressively steeper than the one before. In between the climbs are a series of weaving off-road trails that meander through forested sections that provide shade, if not relief, from the heat.
Oak Mountain State Park is also home to the BUMP and Grind mountain bike race, one of the best mountain bike events in the Southeast now in its 13th year (last Sunday, June 3), as well as the popular Buster Britton Memorial road triathlon – which is part of the Best of the U.S. triathlon series (June 9).
XTERRA has teamed up with Buster Britton to provide special recognition for those athletes brave enough to do both races – aptly named the Bama Slamma Double Competition. A trophy will be given to the racer with the best combined time in the XTERRA Southeast Championship and the Buster Britton. Last year Craig Evans (who has since turned pro) won the Buster Britton then finished 9th overall (top amateur) in XTERRA to win the men’s double.
The XTERRA Southeast Championship race weekend (June 8-10) also includes a Friday night trail run, GU Charity Ride on Saturday, and a Sunday morning Duathlon to go with the full and half-distance XTERRA’s.
Click here for a more details, start times, where to see the action, etc.
I’ll be racing myself from the lake to about midway up the mountain for some mountain biking shots and hurry down for some trail running shots. Email me if you are planning on going.
Check out my photos from last year’s inaugural event below:
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