Richmond Trail Run Preview: A Wild Sense of Urban Adventure

By Richard Burgunder

The XTERRA Richmond Trail Runs offer a wild sense of urban adventure. Located just a 90-minute drive southwest of the nation's capital, you'll find some amazingly technical single-track trails on the historic Brown's Island, nestled along the strikingly beautiful James River.

This year's race is scheduled for Saturday, June 9, and it should once again be one of the most fun and challenging trail runs in the country.

You'll be challenged with a steep vertical climb up the Manchester staircase, also known as "The Mayan Ruins," where you might find yourself crawling on all fours. You'll later be faced with another strenuous climb up the famous tower steps and across the pedestrian bridge where you'll then encounter tight dirt trails consisting of many, rolling hills through a lush forest. Your speed will be tested on quick cinder trails down the island and your agility challenged while cautiously maneuvering your footing from boulder to boulder to get across the James River.

After a small climb and a short run across another pedestrian bridge, you'll approach a roaring crowd and festive atmosphere, encouraging an explosively fast finish into the chutes. The race starts in a wide-open field where you'll be lined up next to more than 600 of your closest friends. You'll soon be fighting them off as you jockey for position, as the course quickly funnels into narrow-single track trails along the river. Brace yourself for a very fast first half-mile and then enjoy the stunning scenery and history along a grueling, yet exhilarating XTERRA trail run adventure!

The XTERRA Richmond Trail Runs are one of the most spectacular and largest events on the XTERRA trail run national tour. The 21K course serves as the XTERRA East Trail Run Championship and offers generous prizes. For the first time, the XTERRA Richmond Trail Run will offer free entries to the 2012 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. And it's not just for the overall winners- each age-group winner, male and female, for the 21K race at Richmond will earn a free entry to the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, which is scheduled for December 2 at Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii.

Along the Richmond course, you will find one of XTERRA's newest sponsors, PowerBar, offering free product samples. PowerBar field marketing associates will be available to assist runners with all of their nutrition needs as well as giving away product samples.

After the race, make sure to take advantage of the wide array of word-class attractions in the local area. Sitting on the James River and formed by the Haxall Canal, Brown's Island is inundated with Civil War history. As part of the city's James River Park, it is a popular venue for a large number of free outdoor concerts and festivals during the spring and summer, such as the weekly Friday Cheers concert series or the James River Beer and Seafood Festival.

If you're a Civil War buff, then you're likely familiar with how Richmond was the epicenter of the Civil War for the confederacy. Adjacent from Brown's Island and less than a 10-minute walk from the race finish line, you'll find the American Civil War Center, at Historic Tredegar, the nation's first museum to interpret the Civil War from Union, Confederate, and African American perspectives. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children. You can also catch an afternoon tour of the Cold Harbor or Malvern Hill battlefields. If you're looking for another adrenaline rush, make sure to check out Kings Dominion, an amusement park located in Doswell, Virginia, only 20 miles north of Richmond. Single day adult passes are $59.99 if purchased at the gates, or $49 if purchased online in advance. Kids single day pass are $37.99. Lastly, there's superb outdoor recreation located in Pocahontas State Park, only about 20 miles from downtown Richmond. The park is one of Virginia's more popular state parks. It offers a variety of outdoor activities, including biking, hiking, picnicking, swimming, camping, and family-friendly nature programs.

If you're still in the area on Sunday, come back out to Brown's Island and cheer on your favorite off-road triathletes as they battle it out for the coveted title of 2012 XTERRA East Champion. You'll have the opportunity to witness first-hand some of the world's most prolific and exciting adventure sports athletes in action.

Richard Burgunder is an XTERRA Trail Run Ambassador based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a three-time XTERRA Regional Champion, with the three titles coming in three different regions (New England, Ohio and Pocono). He is currently the top-ranked runner for the 30-34 age division in the 2012 XTERRA Pocono Series. He placed 12th overall at the 2009 XTERRA Richmond Trail Run 21K. He is also a representative for PowerBar.

© 2013 TEAM Unlimited LLC