Photo courtesy of Birmingham Track Club.
The annual Peavine Falls Run has become a Fourth of July tradition, said Birmingham Track Club president Alex Morrow.
Trail runners, road runners and walkers alike are invited to join the Birmingham Track Club at Oak Mountain State Park this July 4.
The Peavine Falls Run, hosted by Birmingham Track Club, is in its 35th year and includes the same 8.2-mile course people know from previous years. Runners start in the Dogwood Picnic Pavilion on Terrace Drive, run up Peavine Falls Road to the parking lot, and then turn around to run back down the road. About 1.2 miles from the finish, runners veer off the road and go to a single-track trail that links back to the Dogwood Picnic Pavilion.
The combination of road and trail is what makes this event ideal for trail runners, road runners and walkers, said Birmingham Track Club president Alex Morrow.
“The trail runners get a chance to run a little bit of trail, the road runners get to run a lot of road,” Morrow said. “The walkers, just because of the challenge, it’s still really rewarding to even be able to walk that course.”
The elevation of the course is a challenge for runners and walkers, Morrow said, and finishing the course feels like a great accomplishment. Walkers will start on the trail at 6:30 a.m., and runners will start at 7 a.m.
Registration is $15 for Birmingham Track Club members and $20 for nonmembers. That cost includes a T-shirt, live tracking and the other amenities of a big race but at a lower cost, Morrow said. The Birmingham Track Club works to keep the cost lower than the typical $40 for a 5K or $100 for a marathon, Morrow said, as a way to give back to the community.
“It’s a good Fourth of July event that’s gotten really big,” Morrow said. “We’re hoping for another record year this year.”
Registration for the event is available at birminghamtrackclub.com.
35th annual Peavine Falls Run
WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park, Dogwood Picnic Pavilion
WHEN: July 4, 6:30 a.m.
