Race Recap: Xterra Adventure Fest Maui

Let's make one thing clear from the beginning here, I LOVE trail runs and races! So any chance I have to run an Xterra you can bet I'm going to be there.  These are some of the most challenging races but the most fun at the same. There's something about running through the woods that reminds me of being a kid again.

Speaking of kids, I'm a big supporter of getting kids active. This race did just that and it was awesome! They hosted a keiki (kid in hawaiian) 2K, separated into girls and boys heats. These kids killed it and had a lot of fun at the same time. Afterwards Maui Spider Jump, a bungee trampoline company, set up four stations for the kids to jump and burn off some extra energy.

Once all the keiki finished then the 5K began. There was a decent size of group of runners for this distance. What really bummed me out was we had to wait until all the 5K racers finished before they would start the 10K. So arriving at 7:00am for packet pick up, we were in the sun waiting until 9:40am for the 10K heat to start. That's a lot of time in the sun.

Once the race started it was all fun from there. The first mile was all uphill along a narrow path up the ridge which really dragged if you got stuck behind someone because there really wasn't room to pass without risking slipping down the cliff. I took what opportunities I could to pass people and was on my own for pretty much the rest of the race.

There were some really fun natural obstacles along the course that are pretty standard with an Xterra race. The path took us along a trail then went through a creek, lots of downed trees that we either had to duck under or jump over, one tree was so tall that I actually had to climb over it, and oh did I mention that the trail wasn't mowed so we were running with grass that was at least shoulder length is some areas. Definitely a good time!

In the final mile we made it back to the ridge and luckily this time we were running down it. But it presented some challenges as at one spot there is a sharp reverse switch back that was easily missed, and - I totally don't remember this on the way up - a bush in the middle of the path that I mistakenly went around on the cliff side instead of wall side, lost my footing and started to slip down the cliff. I grabbed the bush and it held my weight long enough to get my footing back. Nothing like a little boost of adrenaline to finish out a race right?

At the bottom of the ridge it was a straight flat run into the finish, great for a final sprint!

I managed to snag 2nd in my age group too, which was a pleasant surprise! After awards everyone quickly disbursed. We followed suit and made a stop for a nice rewarding brunch to celebrate the awesome race day that I had!

Let's not forget to mention how awesome the finisher shirt is! Not a tech shirt but super light cotton that's very comfortable. Can we all just appreciate this awesome logo? It's pretty damn cool!

Check out my Bibrave Race Review for more details about the whole race event.