Dirty Spokes organizes many trail and mountain bike races in the Southeast. This is this my 3rd DS event I have run, and I've walked away (thankfully not limping) from each race very happy with my experience. Their website is easy to navigate, find, and register for races. As a participant, I was not spammed with pre-race day announcements and emails, and it required me to review their website to make sure I had all the information I needed to get to the race. There wasn't much activity on their Facebook page. Be warned if you're the type of person who relies on constant reminders.

Onsite registration, pre-race prep area, finish line, and post-race recovery area offered just enough so you know you're at a race. The race director routinely made friendly and clear announcements to make sure we all knew what was happening. There were about 10 port-a-johns, music, and water available.

Goodie bag: premium soft cotton race shirt; coupon for a free pair of Swiftwick socks.

The 9 mile race (long option) utilized 3 course sections of Red Top Mountain. The course wasn't too technical as it wound its way through the park, however, there were some challenging inclines to over come. In most cases the course was double- and triple-wide to allow for passing, had limited double-back single lane sections, enough water stops, and on-course aids with radio support.

At the finish line, Dirty Spokes offered a medal to the top-three finishers in each age group, and bananas and water to all finishers. All racers had a timed race bib, and the event staff continually printed out updated sheets to allow racers to check their times and placements.

Overall, a great day. I would definitely run this race again. This experience also helped me become more confident in my trail running ability, and I have signed up for a longer distanced race.