XTERRA will be living up to its extreme, off-road reputation when it kicks off the 2008 XTERRA Utah Trail Series in Eden on Saturday at 8 a.m.
This will be the 23rd race of the year on XTERRA’s trail run series. The series is made up of 50 events in 16 different states. Race distances range anywhere from five to 25 kilometers.
This weekend’s race is a 10K that is set to start at the Wolf Mountain Resort at the Howling Wolf Chair. The course will lead up Wandering Wolf Trail, ascending 1,000 feet to the top of Bayot’s Boulevard. Once at the peak, contestants will head down the newly completed Green Mile Trail, which runs down a series of gradual hills with the finish line right at the base of “Oh My Heck” Hill.
After the conclusion of the trail run at Wolf Mountain, the Utah trail series will pick up again June 28 for an 8K event at Snowbird. The last two legs of the series will be a little more of a test for contestants, as they will have to battle through a 12K at Antelope Island on July 19, then finally cap off the series with a grueling 21K in Wheeler Canyon in Ogden on August 16.
Points will be awarded according to times finished, and the participants with the most points at the end of the four races, which make up the Utah Trail Series, will be invited to the XTERRA Trail Run Championship on September 27 in Bend, Ore. Top finishers in Oregon will then be sent to the world championships at Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii, which take place December 5.
So, whether you’re looking for a personal challenge or trying to punch a ticket to Oregon and Hawaii, the XTERRA Trail Run at Wolf Mountain promises to leave you breathless. You can register online at www.stridersrunning.com. The entry fee is $25 or $35 if you sign up the day of the run. For more information on the XTERRA Trail Run Series, you can check out www.xterraplanet.com.