Quick Review of 2017

A Look Back at the 2017 Southeastern Trail Series
In 2017, Southeastern Trail Runs put on a total of 9 Races. Six events were part of the Southeastern Trail Series. The series is designed as a training program for those new to trail running. The first series race is a relatively easy 3 and 6 mile race. Each of the next 5 races are longer and harder than the previous race, ending with the very demanding, Blood Rock 25K & 50K race in December. Along with the 6 trail series races, Southeastern Trail Runs also has the Lake Martin 100, The Endless Mile timed event, the BOO Run for Down syndrome Alabama and Blood Rock 100 and 50 Mile Endurance Run which runs concurrently with the BR 25 & 50K. Hot food and cold drinks are served at the end of every STR Race. Crew and family members are welcome to the join their runners and enjoy the food.

Lake Martin 100 & 50 Mile Endurance Run and 27 Mile Fun Run: March 19th and 20th. The event takes place on the privately owned, Russell Forest Trail System on Lake Martin, near Alexander City, Alabama. We are honored to be the only running event allowed on Russell Lands property by any outside organization. We had 78 starters in the 100 and 42 finishers. The 50 Mile had 87 finishers and 67 finished the 27 mile race.

Tranquility Lake 3 & 6 Mile Trail Race: April 8th, Oak Mountain State Park. The course circles Tranquility Lake on relatively gentle trails with just a mile introduction to the definition of “technical” trail running. Like most of our races, the short race is one loop and the long race is two loops of the course with a well-supplied aid station at the start/finish
 
 
Run for Kids Challenge – 10K, 50K and 12 Hour Trail Race: The Run for Kids was our first race founded in 2011 as a fundraiser for Camp Smile-A-Mile (now Smile-A-Mile) Alabama’s camp for Kids dealing with life after cancer. Following the terrible earthquake in Nepal in 2015, we now split the proceeds between the Seven Summit’s Foundation and Smile-A-Mile. Seven Summit’s is a foundation started by a local climber and business man, Kent Stewart who was at Everest Base Camp in 2015 when the earthquake hit. The foundation has $0 operating overhead. Every dime goes to disaster relief. One of our local runners, Suman Silwal is from Kathmandu and spearheads the fundraising. 100% of race proceeds are split between the two charities. This is a 100% Charity race. To date, this race has raised more than $50,000 for SAM and Seven Summits.

Memorial Day 6 & 12 Mile Trail Race – Oak Mountain State Park, May 27th
This race is where things start to get tough. Runners make one or two trips to the top of Double Oak Mountain, depending on the race distance they select. The 12 mile has over 2,200 ft. of elevation gain. Runners also encounter their first serious exposure to technical trail running.
 
Hotter ‘N Hell 9 & 18 Mile Trail Race – Oak Mountain State Park, July 15th
Now we add more elevation gain, some extremely technical terrain and a healthy dose of Alabama, mid-summer heat and humidity. Runners descend 150 ft. to the bottom of Peavine Gorge where we run a rope from top to bottom to assist. Elevation gain in HNH is over 3,100 ft. in the 18 mile race.
 
Ridge to Blazing Ridge 10.5 & 21 Mile Trail Race – Oak Mtn State Park, Aug 27th
This race is tough. The 21 mile will have 3,600 feet of elevation gain. R2BR is usually hotter than Hotter ‘N Hell and the Start/Finish aid station is almost 7 very long, very hot miles from the previous aid station.
 
 In 2017, Blood Rack Races were split over two weekends. The 25 and 50K were December 2nd. The 50 and 100 Mile were December 8th and 9th. Six inches of snow fell Friday, December 6th. It was absolutely beautiful but the melting snow during the day and temperatures overnight dropping into the mid-teens created very difficult conditions for runners. Several sections of the course have extremely steep climbs including one 250 foot climb were we run 600 ft. of rope up the hill. We have moved the 2018 Blood Rock races to the end of September. The weather is just too unpredictable in mid-December and it’s too close to Christmas.

2017 Blood Rock 100 & 50 Mile, 25 & 50K Trail Race: December 2017, Oak Mtn State Park. We only had fourteen 100 mile finishers due to the incredibly difficult and very cold conditions. We always allow runners to drop down to shorter distances and be an official finisher. (That is true for all our races, not just Blood Rock. I feel if someone runs 50 miles of a 100 and drops, they “ran” 50 Miles and earned a finisher medal.)
 
All 4 races use backcountry trails at Oak Mtn State Park never used in a race before. In fact, they are known to very few people. These trails are not marked, not maintained and very difficult or impossible to follow, much less run. I spend the better part of the month before the race getting this trails in good condition for the race.
Blood Rock 100 and 50 Mile Endurance Race     Blood Rock 25 & 50K Trail Race
 
I have run many 100 mile races in Colorado, Utah, California and West Virginia and the Blood Rock trails are as difficult to navigate as any I have encountered in any race other than a few sections of Hardrock 100. Amazingly, every one of our runners love this course. They also love the Buckle!
 
The first year of the Blood Rock Races, a 25K, 50K and 50 mile in 2016, the race sold out at 350 runners. This year we had 340 registered runners and had the race been earlier, we would have sold out again.
 
Endless Mile – 6, 12, 24 & 48 Hour Solo and Relay Race: This is one of the most fun events to put on we do. The race takes place at Veteran’s Park in Alabaster, about 30 miles south of downtown Birmingham. The course is a 1.00203 mile USATF certified paved loop with about 10 feet of elevation gain. It’s a course where runners can go after state and national records. We had an amazing turnout in 2017 with several of America’s top 24 and 48 hour runners. We also had several relay teams which really make the event fun. All runners that reach 100 miles receive the awesome buckle pictured here.
 
BOO Run for Down syndrome Alabama – 5K, 10K and 1 Mile Fun Run:
October 28th, Veteran’s Park, Hoover, Alabama. This is a 100 % Charity Race.
This race is held on a state cross-country course and primarily appeals to people with some connection to DSA. Many of our regular runners come out to support the cause. The majority of our registrations are race morning and in 2016 the race did quite well. In 2017 severe thunderstorms were in the area race morning and the temperatures were in the 40s. One was sitting over the park about 45 minutes before the race and it continued to pour until well after the race was over. We had very few runners show up to register race morning. Hopefully in 2018 we will have better weather.

The Southeastern Trail Series has continued to grow each year with about 1,600 different runners participating in at least one race in 2017. We have about a 40% to 50% turnover of runners from one year to the next. That is, every year we have a whole new “crop” of trail runners join the trail running community in Birmingham. If you live near Birmingham, consider running with us in a few races in 2018 or enter the entire series and save 20%. Find out what trial running is all about and how much fun you have been missing. Full Series Registration