Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County, Alabama, will host the 2023 XTERRA Americas Trail Run Championships.
Runners from Canada to Chile and elsewhere are expected to qualify for the events, which will be held May 21, 2023. Oak Mountain State Park is located south of Birmingham. It is popular with trail runners due to the complexity, variety of terrain, incline and challenges.
The XTERRA Americas half-marathon and full-marathon trail runs will award more than $5,000 in prize money. Also at stake will be continental championship titles for runners in age group categories 15-19 to 80+, and XTERRA Trail Run World Championship qualifying spots to the top finishers in each division. Two-person teams, aka “racing duos,” are also eligible for titles and qualifying spots.
As one of the pinnacle events on the XTERRA Trail Run World Series calendar, the XTERRA Americas Trail Run Championships are expected to lure a high-quality field of runners from Canada to Chile and beyond.
“Oak Mountain has one of the best trail networks we’ve ever found,” said XTERRA US Technical Director Kirk Ermels. “With the help of a few local trail running legends, we’ve designed a new course that provides the ultimate running tour of those trails, filled with beautiful scenery and epic views. It has a mix of terrain that will offer something for every type of runner, I believe participants are really going to love the adventure we have in store for them.”
About the Park
Oak Mountain State Park is one of the few venues in America that can accommodate an epic, single loop, mostly single track full-marathon trail race. Shelby County offers more than 130 miles of trails among its parks and other outdoors attractions.
Steve Sievert, who won the 2021 XTERRA Oak Mountain Marathon in 4:17:30, described the trails as “Rugged, but just amazing. XTERRA is known for going to unbelievable places and challenging us with really difficult courses and this was no different.”
Surrounding the racing action is a family-friendly festival focused on delivering a premium outdoor lifestyle experience for athletes, spectators, destinations, and community members alike.
The championship weekend includes a 5K, 10K and Kids K. Other events include off-road triathlons, live music, beer gardens, bbq, camping, and more.
For visiting runners, it’s a chance to discover the trails Runner’s World Magazine called one of “America’s Crown Jewels – 25 best trails in the nation.”
A complete schedule of events and registration (early bird rates in effect until Dec. 31) can be found at xterraplanet.com/oakmountain.
About XTERRA Trail Run World Series
The XTERRA Trail Run World Series features more than 30 events across 20 countries on five continents in 2023, awards points to runners at each race, and has its own custom-built global ranking system.
The Series incorporates marathon (35-to-60km) and half-marathon (15-to-34km) distances and awards regional and world championship recognition to individuals and teams at the 2023 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.
The team competition, dubbed the “Racing Duo” category, awards points to teams of two people who run (and finish) together. There will also be segment challenges for both individuals and racing duos that award additional points to runners who set the fastest times during various portions of each race including best climb, fastest downhill, and quickest sprinter.
(PHOTO: XTERRA)
