The XTERRA Florida Trail Run Series will make its debut on 7 November, with the XTERRA Wildhorse Trail Run held at Sydney, Florida.
"There are a lot of trails here, and the number of runners has been growing over the years," said Florida Series Director Jim Hartnett. "Adding XTERRA to the mix will create some new challenges for the runners, and make the runs even more exciting."
The inaugural XTERRA Florida Series will feature three races during the 2010-11 season. Following the first race in November, there will be one race in March 2011 and another in May. All three races will be in the Tampa/St Petersburg area of the Sunshine State.
More than 300 runners are expected to participate in the first Wildhorse Trail Run, including some of the state’s elite competitors.
Each race in the Florida Series will feature at least two distances for runners to choose from. The Wildhorse Trail Run will have four options: half-marathon (13.1 miles), 10 miles, 6.2 miles, or 4 miles.
"This being our first race on this trail, we wanted to make sure there’s a course for everyone," Hartnett said.
Cumulative points will be tabulated throughout the season, and the top runner in each age-group at the end of the season will be crowned a Florida Series champion. Each age-group champion will receive free entry to the 2011 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship.
Florida is one of 11 states that will host an XTERRA Trail Run Series during the 2010-11 season. The others are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
