XTERRA North American Championship at Oak Mountain

The XTERRA North American Championship returns to Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama, from May 15 through 17, 2026, for a three-day convergence of off-road triathlon racing, trail running, and outdoor festival energy set among 11,500 acres of forested hills and glittering lakes. Now in its 18th year at Oak Mountain, the event holds a coveted position on the XTERRA World Cup, the sport’s premier global pro series, carrying $25,000 in elite prize money and 56 qualifying spots for the XTERRA World Championship, held October 10 in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Three days of competition

Saturday anchors the opening weekend with Sprint and Super Sprint triathlons, doubling as the 2026 USAT Youth and Junior Cross National Championship, alongside a 5K trail run and a free kids’ triathlon that brings the next generation to the start line. Sunday belongs to the marquee Full Distance race, sending athletes through a 1.5K open-water swim, a 33K mountain bike ride on trails built and maintained since 1994 by BUMP (Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers), and a 10K trail run that circles Double Oak Lake on tight, twisty single-track before climbing onto the rocky spine of Rattlesnake Ridge.

Updated courses for 2026

The sprint mountain bike course has been meaningfully refreshed for 2026, incorporating more single-trac,k including the brand-new Room Service Trail and the flowing Jekyll ‘n Hyde trail, with less overall climbing and a more dynamic, momentum-driven rhythm throughout. The Full Distance run route remains one of the most technically demanding on the circuit, threading lakeside paths and ridge lines that reward both precision and grit.

Legends of the course

Oak Mountain carries a storied competitive history. South Africa’s Conrad Stoltz won here six times, Josiah Middaugh five, Scotland’s Lesley Paterson four, and Suzie Snyder three. In 2025, France’s Felix Forissier and Alizee Paties dominated rain-soaked conditions, while reigning North American champion Sullivan Middaugh defended his continental title on the terrain he knows best. Local favorite Casey Fannin, who helped bring XTERRA to Oak Mountain in 2006, returns this year for the Sprint.

The festival experience

Even without a race bib, the weekend rewards attendance. Live music, beer gardens, and food trucks fill the festival grounds with a finish-line energy that draws families and outdoor enthusiasts from across the region. After the racing ends, the surrounding area delivers its own pleasures: Oak Mountain Brewing Company, the perennially popular Margarita Grill, and The Beer Hog have become fixtures of the post-race ritual for crews and competitors alike.

Time it right

May is one of the finest months to be in this corner of Alabama. Venture a short drive from the park and you may find Cahaba lilies in bloom along the Cahaba River, rare aquatic wildflowers that surface for only one month each year and have made this stretch of water one of the most quietly celebrated natural destinations in the South. A weekend of racing and a morning chasing wildflowers in bloom makes for a trip that is difficult to top.