When you're in Alabama for work, and there's a race in the area, you have to sign up for it right? Did I mention that this is in the middle of July?

The Hotter N Hell race has both a 9 mile and 18 Mile option and is a part of the Southeastern Trail Series which culminates in a 50 and 100 mile event in November. I can't even imagine.

The race has packet pickup both the Friday night before the race, as well as on race morning at the park. I opted for race day pickup since I couldn't actually go to the other one. Super quick, though, and it was barely an inconvenience.

Runners do need to bring $5 for the start, because the race is run at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL. That's pretty par for the course for a state or county park, so don't worry about it. The parking lot is very spacious and there was no problem parking either.

The bathroom situation at the start was both pro and con. The pro was that the bathrooms were indoor. The con was that unless you wanted to use nature's bathroom, there were only 4. Plan accordingly for that, but it was a minor issue.

I have to make a quick mention of the start. Runners line up on the road, since the first half mile or so is on roads to separate the crowds. As it nears 7:30 (race start) the RD sneaks behind some cars, and without any warning starts the race by shooting a shotgun into the air. If you weren't awake, you will be then.

Other than those road sections, the race is run almost entirely on single track (and rocks). The first lap of the loop is a gradual uphill, but nothing unrunnable. Plus, it's actually beautiful. I've run in some cool places, and this was one of my favorite venues for a race.

Around the halfway point, and at the top of the mountain, there's a fully stocked aid station with all kinds of food, drinks, and spectators. It's awesome. The second half of the race is where you need to strap on your climbing shoes. My goodness. The climbs are steep, unrelenting, and some resemble rock climbing more than running. When one downhill has a rope so you don't tumble down the mountain you know its steep.

18 milers get to do this twice. I didn't have 18 in me as I got beaten down by the hills and humidity of the south. If you just do the 9; you'll be greeting with water, beer, Gatorade, and a cookout while you sweat out all the water in your body.

Quickly, some thoughts on the race shirt. I didn't love the men's shirt. It's a yellow shirt (runs a little bit) with the race logo. The women's shirt, however, was a white/gray singlet with the race logo. I almost asked to get the women's shirt because it looked SO. MUCH. BETTER.

This race is super well organized, and makes a point of being sure you have all race info, and know you need to carry water for the race. I would probably do this again someday if the opportunity presents itself. But I need to wait until the memory of the pain the race brought fades away.