Race start is at North Trailhead
Beginning with a short service road start, runners will quickly sort themselves before entering the single track of Blue Trail. After some rolling uphill, you will take a hard left up one of Oak Mountain's gnarliest climbs, and my favorite training hill, Outback Highway! Once summitted, good news, the most grueling stretch is behind you. But you still have 2.5 miles of rugged Alabama terrain. After the next, shorter, and gentler hill, you will crest over onto one of my favorite top-outs with boulders towards a slippery pine straw downhill. Next is a walk-worthy climb to your halfway point, your water station, and the crown of this race: King's Chair! After a quarter mile of mostly runnable trail, you will come to your second toughest, but final climb to Eagles Nest. From there, it's about a half mile of technical downhill till you get back to Red Road for a fast finish. But make sure you watch your ankles here!
Each participant gets a headband, sticker, finisher pin, food, beer, coke, and some gnarly climbs!
There are only two awards in this race. The King, and the Queen. However, if a female wins overall she is both King, and Queen, unless another female gets second. In that case we will have a lady King (first overall), and a lady Queen (second overall). Men are not eligible to win the Queen award. However, anyone who beats 40 minutes will also be knighted.
So, come test your grit with the Southeast's toughest 5k. ~1,100 feet of climbing, and descending over only 3.1 miles, on Oak Mountain's rugged terrain.
Packet pickup will be morning of, at North Trailhead
Race start is at North Trailhead
Aug 14, 2027
Distance — 5K
Type — Running
08:00
$31.00
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for August in Pelham.
Learn more about the host city, Pelham.
Pelham is a city in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. The population was 24,318 at the 2020 census. It incorporated on July 10, 1964, and is a suburb located in the Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama which was home to nearly 1.2 million residents as of the 2020 census. It was named for Confederate Civil War officer John Pelham.
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