King of the Mountain

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!

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.  

Race start is at North Trailhead

Website

AllTrails

Strava

Join fellow runners on August 15, 2026 for the King of the Mountain. It's a fantastic 5K featuring a flat and fast course in Pelham.