Hotter 'N Hell Trail Race

Last Saturday at Oak Mountain State Park was the 4th race in the 2013 Southeastern Trail Series, The Hotter 'N Hell Trail Race.  Runners could select form either the 9 mile or 18 mile race.  One would expect a run held the last weekend in July, in Alabama, to be really hot.  The norm would be highs between 95 and 100 deg.  so the course was designed to bring runners under Peavine Fall about midways through each lap of the race.  I was expected most runners to spend a minute or two each lap cooling down under the falls.  After all, that is why we named it Hotter 'N Hell.

Well everyone was really disappointed with out weather. "Right!!"" Conditions were great for Alabama in late July.  In face, it was downright cool with a low in the upper 60s,  high temperatures about 85 and overcast skies all morning.  There were even a few sprinkles early on.  No one had to drag themselves across the line begging for water.

There is no better way to spend a Saturday than hanging around a butch of trail runners and it doesn't matter where they are form.  Two weeks ago I was in Silverton, Colorado as aid station captain for the Cunningham Gulch AS for the Hardrock 100, the hardest "real 100" mile race on earth.  Was that ever an incredible experience.  This weekend we spent Saturday around the South's greatest bunch of runners.  We ended up with over 150 registered runners and 142 finishers.  And did we ever have a bunch of  great volunteers.

Following the race everyone hang around for a little food and drink before heading over to Dan Ripple's house where he and his wife Ericka had created quite a spread for a cookout and pool party.  Unfortunately for Marye Jo and me it took a while to get everything broken down and loaded up and then I had to haul it all back to our house.  We finally make it to the party about the time it was beginning to break up. I still had time to eat way too much really good "awful" food.  Thanks to everyone for making the Hotter 'N Hell Race so much fun.

See the links to Suman's pictures from the race on Marathon Runs (mRuns.com)

The Race start on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsBy7udfoeA

Here is a link to the Youtube version of the HNH runners headed into the woods.