Oak Mountain State Park
Oak Mountain State Park
About
WHAT: XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Runs | 5K, 10K, 20K, 42K, 5x5 Relay
WHEN: May 9, 2021
WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park (map it)
4.23.21 Update: Please review the safe-race protocols in place under the EVENT INFO tab above or the trail run athlete guide download below.
DOWNLOAD TRAIL RUN ATHLETE GUIDE
The XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Runs truly has something for everyone. Long-distance runners can choose to race on a 42K or half-marathon (20.6K) course. Others can opt to participate in the 10.3K and 5K races. All four courses will take place on the award-winning trails at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama. We also have a new 5x5K Relay Team Race (scroll down for more info on that!).
*PLEASE NOTE: You must register by March 31, 2021 in order to be guaranteed an event shirt.
TRAINING PLANS
With the XTERRA Trail Run training plans, we’ll be with you on the first step, and every day along the way.
Our two-months to your first 5K training plan is a great starting point for those just beginning to exercise. The 10-week to 10K plan is the next level-up, and best for those with a solid baseline of fitness, and our 12-weeks to 21K and 42K plans for those up to the challenge of a half-marathon or marathon distance.
Trail Runs and More
TRAIL RUNS
Choose from 5K, 10K, 20K, 42K and 5x5 Relay
A 5K FOR MOTHER'S DAY, 2-for-1 Special!
Sunday, May 9th is Mother’s Day and to celebrate we’re offering a 2-for-1 entry special. Simply register for the XTERRA 5K Trail Run (or walk), and we'll send you a code for a complimentary 5K entry you can use to sign-up your Mom! And, if you are the one everyone calls Mom, give the code to one of your kids so they can join you before they take you to brunch!
THE XTERRA OAK MOUNTAIN TRAIL MARATHON
*This XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Marathon course has been evaluated and awarded one (1) ITRA point. Find out more about the ITRA points.
The expansive and picturesque Oak Mountain State Park is one of the few venues in America that can accommodate a full-marathon trail race. Runner’s World Magazine called the trails one of America’s “Crown Jewels - 25 best trails in the nation,” and the International Mountain Bicycling Association granted them the prestigious EPIC designation – given only to those rare trails “guaranteed to blow your mind.”
Credit belongs to the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP) and Shelby County for the continued development of world class trails along with their State Partners; Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and Oak Mountain State Park who have worked hand in hand to elevate the caliber of mountain biking at this venue. BUMP has spent more than 100,000 hours in design and construction of new trails over the past 20 years in conjunction with the efforts of Shelby County.
"I would say the course is a very well-rounded course with a little bit of everything," said David Wall, a former XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Marathon Champ. "Lots of hills, some flat and fast fire roads, fast single track, lots of turns and rocks. There are a lot of technical trails, but most of the entire course has great footing."
Wall completed the 42K course in 3:02:42, and said the key for runners is to keep in mind that a trail marathon is completely different from a road marathon.
"I believe any marathon runner can do this course," he said. "But they can't expect to set a (personal best time). They are going to have to walk a bit, too, just because it's on a mountain trail and not a flat road. But if they want a scenic run through the woods, then this is a great race."
Notes about the XTERRA Oak Mountain Marathon
- Easy to get to from anywhere. Atlanta, one of the biggest airports on earth is just 2.5 hours away. The Birmingham airport with direct connections is only 30 minutes away.
- Shelby County is home to the venue site, Oak Mountain State Park, the State’s largest park with more than 10,000 acres. There is so much more to see in Shelby County. The County boasts 50 public parks, eight museums, three wineries and 10 golf courses. Learn more at www.discovershelby.com
- There are dozens of good hotels within 15 minutes of the start line.
- There are dozens of restaurants in the area from simple to gourmet. One of the crew favorites is the Margarita Grill on Cahaba Valley Road.
- Birmingham is a historic city with roots back to the US Civil War and was the center of the US civil rights movement of the 1960's. Museums and historic places abound.
- This area of the United States is known for its Southern Hospitality and friendly people.
- For motor enthusiasts, the Barber Motorsports park and museum is one of the foremost motorcycle and car museums anywhere.
- The weather will be fantastic!! Temps between 80 to 85F.
- Over 40 miles of trails from single track to jeep road, rolling hills, fast descents, technical yet fast.
- All marathoners' personal details (family name, first name, date of birth, gender, nationality) will appear in Marathon results to ITRA.
- The name you provide during registration is the same name as your profile on ITRA. If the names are slightly different, it will cause duplicate entries for the organizer and athletes.
NEW 5X5 TEAM RELAY
One team member completes one 5km lap and hands off to a different team member for the 2nd 5km lap, and so on. Five total laps must be completed with a hand-off between team members on each lap. The same team member may not run consecutive laps. Teams are comprised of 3-5 people.
How it works:
- Distance: Five laps of 5km (25km total)
- Cut-off: 4 hours to complete 5 laps.
- Team Village: Teams are welcome to setup a 10x10 shade tent in the XTERRA 5x5 Team Village area - your HQ for resting between laps, cheering, and celebrating after the race is over.
- Awards: Top 3 in each division.
- Divisions: Coed, All Male, All Female, Military, Corporate, Student, Family.
- Minimum age: 6 years – young runners may be accompanied on course.
- Teams are encouraged to bring a race belt for easy transitions.
XTERRA MOUNTAIN BIKE NIGHT
Ride Oak Mountain's celebrated trails free with XTERRA on Thursday, May 6 at 5pm. Ride starts at the XTERRA Village on Terrace Drive. All skill levels welcome.
Register to win cool swag and prizes!
TRIPS FOR KIDS BIKE DRIVE
"Everyone deserves to know the joys of riding a bike."
XTERRA is partnering with Trips for Kids Birmingham. Throughout the XTERRA Oak Mountain weekend, bring your bikes and donate them to this amazing organization. Trips for Kids will make sure they get into the hands of a well-deserving kid.
Trips for Kids Birmingham is a chapter of Trips for Kids, a national 501c3 nonprofit youth development and education umbrella organization. Trips for Kids’ mission is to give every kid in every community the opportunity to know the joy of riding a bike and the freedom to explore the natural world on two wheels.
Spread the word - bring us your bikes!
Cancellation, Refunds, and Referrals
Refunds (not including Active fees) will be given if the event must be cancelled due to COVID-related travel restrictions.
NEW! Active Refund is available for purchase during registration, and will provide 100% refund of your entry fee if you cancel for any reason up to 48 hours prior to the event.
To submit a refund application, visit refund.active.com. Have your Reference ID handy from your ACTIVE Refund Purchase Information email. Full information can be found HERE.
Refer a friend and save up to 25%!
Share your unique referral code (located on the bottom of your event confirmation) with your friends - and if they use it when they register for the event, you save!
You will receive 5% credit for each person that signs up using your code - to a maximum of 5 people:
1 referral = 5% refund
2 referrals = 10% refund
3 referrals = 15% refund
4 referrals = 20% refund
5 referrals = 25% refund
Please allow 7-10 days after the event has ended to receive the referral fees.
Schedule
Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham, Alabama
*Schedule tentative and subject to change
Thursday, May 06
| 5:00-8:00pm | XTERRA Mountain Bike Night at XTERRA Village – enjoy the trails and register to win cool swag and prizes. |
Friday, May 07
| 2:00-6:00pm | Registration and Packet Pickup – all events Photo I.D. and USAT Membership card required for triathlon registration |
| 4:00pm |
XTERRA University and Triathlon Race Briefing, presented by Paul Mitchell, hosted by elites Sam Osborne and Samantha Kingsford (socially distanced) |
Saturday, May 08
| 6:30am | Transition open for set-up and body marking |
| 6:30-8am | Late Packet Pickup for triathlon races Photo I.D. and USAT Membership card required for triathlon registration |
| 8:00am | Xticer Start (200m swim, 10K MTB, 2K trail run) – time trial |
| 8:10am | XTERRA Sprint Start (750m swim, 15K MTB, 4.5K trail run) – time trial |
| 8:25am | XTERRA Oak Mountain Full Course Start – elite mass start followed by age group time trial (1.5K swim, 30K MTB, 10K trail run) |
| 8:45am | Xticer finishers expected |
| 9:00am-1pm | XTERRA Expo Open/Trail Run Registration and Packet Pickup |
| 9:15/9:30am | XTERRA Sprint male/female winner expected |
| 10:40/10:50am | XTERRA Oak Mountain Full Course male/female winner expected |
| 11:30am | XTERRA Kids Sprint – free (sign up online HERE) |
| 12pm | XTERRA Sprint and Full Course Awards Ceremony – top three overall men and women plus top 5 elite men and women. |
| 12:30pm | Cutoff at T2 – not permitted to start 1st lap of the run after this time |
| 1:30pm | XTERRA Full Course Cutoff – not permitted to start 2nd lap of the run after this time |
Sunday, May 09
| 6:30-7:30am | XTERRA Trail Runs/Walk Packet Pickup and Late Registration |
| 8:00am-1:00pm | XTERRA Expo Open |
| 7:30am | XTERRA Oak Mountain 42K Trail Marathon Start |
| 8:00am | XTERRA Oak Mountain 5K Run/Walk and 5x5 Relay Start |
| 8:10am | XTERRA Oak Mountain 10K Trail Run Start |
| 8:20am | XTERRA Oak Mountain 20K Trail Run Start |
| 10:20am | 20K Trail Run Cut-off – not permitted on the 2nd lap after this time |
| 11:00am | XTERRA Kids Sprint – free (sign up online HERE) |
| 12:00pm | XTERRA 5x5 cut-off – no official finishers after this time. |
| 12:30pm | XTERRA Trail Marathon Cut-off –not permitted on the last 10k after this time |
Course Maps
COURSE MAPS
5K Trail Run Course Map (click map below to enlarge) | View in alltrails.com for map and elevation | View in google maps | Download .gpx file
10K Trail Run Course Map (click map below to enlarge) | View in alltrails.com for map and elevation | View in google maps | Download .gpx file
20K Trail Run Course Map (click map below to enlarge) | View in alltrails.com for map and elevation | View in google maps | Download .gpx file
42K Marathon Trail Run Course Map (click map below to enlarge) | View in alltrails.com for map and elevation | View in google maps | Download .gpx file
Safe Race Protocols
Your health and safety is our top priority. As such, XTERRA Oak Mountain received COVID-19 Safety Certification from USA Triathlon, demonstrating our commitment to implementing the best practices outlined in the Safe Return to Multisport initiative and abiding by USA Triathlon’s Return to Racing Recommendations.
It is the athlete’s responsibility to stay safe leading up to the event and to follow the guidelines in place at the event. Please review the reference documents at the bottom of this section for helpful guidelines and safety tips.
Here is a list of safety measures in place at our event:
- We will adhere to all current covid-related rules and restrictions set by local authorities, including but not limited to Oak Mountain State Park, the State of Alabama, and Shelby County.
- Athletes, staff, volunteers, and family members must stay home if they are feeling ill.
MASKS
- At this time, although masks are not mandated in Shelby County, individuals are strongly encouraged to wear a mask when in public and in close contact with other people. At the event, we are asking all participants and family members to PLEASE WEAR A MASK.
- We are REQUIRING all event staff, volunteers, and vendors to wear a mask.
Note: For those traveling into or through Birmingham, AL, a mask mandate is in effect. For a full list of safe travel tips, click here.
SANITIZATION PROTOCOLS
- Signage on-site encouraging regular hand washing and sanitizing
- Hand washing and sanitizing stations readily available and ample trash receptacles placed around event venue
- Regularly cleaning of high touch point areas
- Discouraging use of other people’s equipment, phones, tools, etc.
PHYSICAL DISTANCING
- Promoting physical distancing and mitigate person-to-person contact
- Ample signage placed in key areas of venue encouraging physical distancing
- Race announcements to remind everyone about physical distancing and mask wearing
SCREENING
- Temperature screening for COVID-19 symptoms including fevers of 100.4 degrees F and greater prior to athlete registration/check-in and upon bike check-in to transition area prior to racing.
- Based on the CDC definition of a fever and the symptoms of COVID-19, if the athlete has a temperature of 100.4 degrees. For above, the athlete will be directed to event’s medical lead for final determination on the athlete’s ability to participate in the event.
- All event staff and volunteers will be screened daily.
REGISTRATION AND PACKET PICK-UP
- Registration and packet pick-up procedures will promote physical distancing and mitigate person-to-person contact.
- Bag drop will not be offered
COURSE OPERATIONS
- Self-application tattoos for body marking
- Time trial starts for the triathlons, and ask triathletes to self-seed themselves from fastest to slowest to mitigate passing in the water
- More bike racks and have less people per rack
- The swim, bike, and run courses have been reconfigured to be one-lap to mitigate passing
- Socially distanced start lines for the trail run
- Socially distanced gathering for Thursday’s Bike Night
AID STATIONS
- We recommend carrying your own fluids during the race, including hydration belt, hydration backpack, collapsible cups, or hand-held water bottle.
- Aid stations are stations are self-service.
- Place trash in the provided receptacle to reduce disease transmission to other athletes and volunteers.
- Aid stations
- Marathon Course - 6 stations
- 20K Course - 6 stations
- 10K Course - 3 stations
- 5K Course - 2 stations
FINISH LINE
- Remove your own timing chip and return it to our chip bucket at the finish line
- Self pick-up of finishers medal from the table in the finish area
- Recovery is self-serve.
- Do not congregate in recovery. Take your drink(s) and pre-packaged food items and move through this area. Remain socially distanced from other athletes and volunteers.
- Place trash in the provided receptacle to reduce disease transmission to other athletes and volunteers.
RACE CLINICS AND BRIEFING
- XTERRA University clinic live on Facebook (social-distanced on-site)
- Race briefing posted to our Facebook page and website
AWARDING
- Elite awards for top 5 men and women in the Full Course triathlon
- Age group awards for top 3 overall men and women in all triathlon and trail run races, except Xticer.
- All in person awards will be socially distanced. Wear a mask and you may take it off for photos.
- All other awards (top 3 men and women in each division) will be available for self pick-up at designated collection table
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Please review the following documents:
COVID TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS
RETURN TO RACING ATHLETE CHECKLIST
RETURN TO RACING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ATHLETES
Awards
Awards will be given to the top three in each age-group division. You must be present to receive your awards. Awards will not be mailed after the event.
Travel Partners
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Explore a wide range of accommodation options in Shelby County, click HERE.
Special Hotel Deals
Holiday Inn Express - offers XTERRA athletes a special $90/night* rate.
260 Cahaba Valley Road
Pelham, AL 35124
205-987-8888
Comfort Suites, Pelham - offers XTERRA athletes special rates of $89 King or $94/night Double (2 Queens) plus tax from May 2-10.
Call 205-982-1999 and ask for the XTERRA Group Rate.
2235 Pelham Parkway
Pelham, AL 35124
Rental Car
Hertz - our Preferred Car Rental Agency, offers 5% off all rentals to XTERRA participants, friends and family.
Use code 2213376 when you book your car. Good for travel to XTERRA events and personal travel.
Book Your Rental Car noW!
You can also enroll in “Hertz Gold Plus Rewards” at no additional cost to bypass the counter and go straight to your car.
To enroll in the program, click here to go to the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment page. Once you complete the enrollment process, you will be issued a #1 Club Gold Number instantly, which will be sent to your email. Existing Gold members, please log in to your profile if you have not already, and change your Corporate Discount Program to 2213376.
Travel by Air
Closest airport is Birmingham (BMH) or fly into Atlanta (ATL) and drive 2 hours to Pelham.
Driving Directions to Oak Mountain State Park
Oak Mountain State Park is located 15 miles south of Birmingham off Exit 246 on Interstate 65. Coming from the North: On I-65, take Cahaba Valley Road (AL-119) exit (246). Turn right to go South on AL-119 and immediately turn left onto State Park Road. Go approximately 1.5 miles and turn left at the 4-way stop sign into the park. Once you get through the ranger station parking booth go straight and turn right on Terrace Drive. Continue on Terrace Drive until you see Double Oak Lake, then look for XTERRA parking signs.
Coming from the South: On I-65, take Cahaba Valley Road (AL-119) exit (246). Turn left to go South on AL-119 and immediately turn left on to State Park Road. Go approximately 1.5 miles and turn left at the 4-way stop sign into the park. Once you get through the ranger station parking booth go straight and turn right on Terrace Drive. Continue on Terrace Drive until you see Double Oak Lake, then look for XTERRA parking signs.
NOTE: The closest address you can enter into a mapping program is 200 Terrace Drive – Pelham, AL 35124. This is the address for the Wildlife Center above the event compound, but will get you close and you’ll be able to see the XTERRA signs once on Terrace Drive.
Race Headquarters
On Terrace Drive, just past the Park Headquarters. Look for big white tents and XTERRA signage.
Day Use Fees at Oak Mountain State Park
$5 per Adult (age 12+)
$2 per Child (age 4-11)
$2 per Senior (age 62+)
Free for ages 3 & under
The gates take CASH ONLY. Please bring exact change to speed-along entry, and keep in mind that proceeds are providing financial support for Oak Mountain State Park. Thank you.
Discover Shelby
There is so much to discover right around Oak Mountain State Park! Be sure to check out the new Oak Mountain Brewing Company and The Beer Hog to sample some amazing local craft brews. Don’t miss out on The Margarita Grill…an XTERRA crew favorite!
Want to ride or run some wicked, but fairly untapped trails? Cahaba River Park is for you! Timing should be perfect at the beginning of May to sneak a glimpse of the iconic Cahaba lilies in bloom. These aquatic flowering plants only grown in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina…and only bloom for one month out of the year…MAY!
Visit DiscoverShelby.com to find other events, Places to Go, Things to Do, and more while you are in town. Enjoy!
Camping at Oak Mountain
CAMPING
RV spots and campsites at the State Park may sell out quickly.
If you wish to reserve a site online https://guestrez.megasyshms.com/KWJ6F/oak-mountain-state-park-campground-and-cabins.
To make a reservation by phone call (205) 620-2520 or (800) 252-7275.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
To learn more about G Endurance products, visit www.GatoradeEndurance.com.
Want to know where to buy locally? Check out our store locator here. #FormulatedforFarther
TOURISM PARTNERS
To become a partner or exhibitor, please reach out to:
Susie Meier
Sales & Strategic Partnerships
sponsorship [at] xterraplanet.com
Are you part of an athletic club, a current student, or serving with the military?
Join the new XTERRA Club for 15% off this race, 30% off apparel, and other perks. Registration and more information can be found here.