The Oxbow Ultra

Awards

Medals will be awarded to all participants who finish their designated event.

The overall male and female winner from each event will receive an award.

Description

The Oxbow Ultra will be held beginning on Saturday, November 27th in St. Paul, Virginia. The registration options available are - 6 hour day, 6 hour night, 6 hour Ruck, 12 hour day, 12 hour night, and 24 hours. The start time for all day events will be 9am. The 6 and 12 hour night races will begin at 9pm. Camping will be available at no charge. The course consists of a short paved section, wide packed dirt trails, and single track. The race will be limited to 100 total participants so register early!

For the 6 hour Ruck, Men will be required to wear a 40 pound vest or ruck and women will be required to wear a 20 pound vest or ruck.

Course

The course consists of a 5 mile loop circling the scenic Oxbow Lake then turns onto single track and emerges onto a large open field on top of Sugar Hill. Participants will pass by the remnants of a French Settlement before descending onto the trail next to the Clinch River, one of the most biodiverse rivers in the United States. The trail then merges back onto a dirt road leading to the start/finish area.

Packet Pickup

Packet Pickup will be available race morning at the race site

History of the Area

The Oxbow Trail is the entryway to Sugar Hill. The trail encircles a lake created in the 1970s after large floods swept through the town of St. Paul. To prevent further flooding, the river was shortened, bypassing the town and leaving behind easy to develop land in a flood-free zone. The mile-long Oxbow Trail loops around the lake and joins the trails leading to Sugar Hill.

Sugar Hill contains the only public hiking trails along the Clinch River in Virginia. This river is Southwest Virginia’s hidden jewel and has been named by The Nature Conservancy as the number one river worth protecting in the entire continental United States. The average hiker is unlikely to stumble across the river’s rarest features --- the two-foot-long Hellbender salamander and 21 types of federally threatened or endangered mussels and fish, for example. Even if you miss these rare species, though, a trip along Sugar Hill’s trails reveals an astonishing profusion of plant and animal life.

Established by French settlers in 1791, this area, marked by standing chimneys, was once called St. Marie on the Clinch. Later owners farmed the land, and in the 1930s, created a maple syrup and sugar operation known as Sugar Hill.

For further information on the early settlers and history, visit http://mountainpeeksmag.com/mp_01/mp_01_sugar_hill.html

Rules & Etiquette

We are fortunate to be allowed the use of the trail system and in order for this race to continue and to be safe and fun for everyone, we ask that you respect the rules and the trail.

Absolutely no littering. Trash can be left at the aid stations.

Some sections of the trail are narrow. Let the runner ahead of you know you plan to pass them so they can provide room.

Be aware of runners who may need to pass and move to the side of the trail.

Be courteous to other runners and to our volunteers.

Notes

Participants will not be allowed to change events once the race has started. For safety reasons, please notify a volunteer if you wish to stop running prior to the end of your event or if you will be off the course for an extended period of time, such as stopping to sleep. This ensures we don't come looking for you in the middle of the night! CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN FOR COMPLETED LAPS ONLY. You must complete the lap you are on before your event time is up for that lap to be counted in your total.