2007 X Terra Race Moves to Loon Mountain

Lincoln, NH, June 11, 2007:  After setting registration records at the first two XTERRA New England Trail Races, the series is moving to Loon Mountain on Sunday July 8th for the series finale, the XTERRA Loon Mountain Race. The Loon race will challenge runners legs and lungs, as they ascend over 2800 feet and descend 1100 feet in the trail race to the top of Loon Mountain Ski Area.

Last year the race served as a qualifier for the U.S. Mountain Running Team, and was won by XTERRA New England Series leader, Paul Low, of Belchertown, MA. Paul won both the Merrimack and Northfield races.

The 10K course consists of grass ski trail and cat track to the summit of Loon's two ski peaks. Competitors first ascend to the top of the Gondola and then descend slightly before the grueling climb up a black diamond ski trail to the summit of North Peak. The race then ends with a screaming downhill back to the top of the Gondola. Sections of the final uphill have grades approaching 40%.

The XTERRA New England Trail Run Series is in its inaugural year, and is part of the national XTERRA Trail Run series that culiminates on September 29th in Lake Tahoe, Nevada for the XTERRA Trail Running Championship.

Besides being a challenging and fun event, the XTERRA Loon Mountain Race is also a fund raiser for the White Mountain Milers running club's Gretchen B. Hatch Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship fund has awarded almost 50,000 in scholarship monies to local student-athletes to pursue running at the collegiate level.

Loon is also the 5th race in the LaSportiva USATF-New England Mountain Circuit. The 6-race series is unique in the country and consists of six mountain races spread across New England (www.usatfne.org).

Registration for the Loon Mountain race is still available and is $15 pre, and $20 post and day of. Registrants will receive a commemorative race t-shirt. Prizes will be provided for the top racers in each age division. Sponsorship for the race is provided by XTERRA, The White Mountain Milers, Inov-8, Fuel Belt and Loon Mountain Resort. For more information on the race, contact Race Director Paul Kirsch at 603-367-8676 or by email at pkirsch@roadrunner.com. Race applications and online registration are available at www.whitemountainmilers.com/loon/.

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