Date: May 17, 2014 Race Type: Triathlon Bike Surface: Road Drafting rules:? Non-drafting Kids Race? *NOT* a kids' race Course: 1.5 kilometers swim, 30 kilometers bike, 10 kilometers run Start: 9:00 AM Location: Pelham, Alabama Address: Oak Mountain State Park Contact: 877-751-8880 | info@xterraplanet.com Individual Price: $75 til Feb. 15, $95, $100 (30 days), $105 (onsite) Team Price: $110 til Feb. 15, $140 thereafter, $150 (30 days), $155 (onsite)
Date: May 17, 2014 Course: 1.5 kilometers swim, 30 kilometers bike, 10 kilometers run Location: Pelham, Alabama Address: Oak Mountain State Park
General Information
Registration fees included or disclosed up front?: Not specified whether registration/convenience fees are added. Course Info: The course at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County, located in the southernmost part of the Appalachian Chain, is 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 the 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.
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.
More: Oak Mountain State Park, the largest state park in Alabama, boasts nearly 10,000 acres of outdoor recreational playground and promises to be a great place for competitors to bring the whole family with mountains, lakes, and forests for hiking, biking, and fishing, a well-developed golf course and a riding stable. There are hundreds of campsites and cabins for rent, and the park is just a half-hour south of the historic and bustling city of Birmingham.
Directions: Just outside of Birmingham, Alabama
Hotels closest to the Park Entrance are at exit 246 off Interstate 65 for route 119.
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