Nearly two dozen youngsters swam in the lake, biked on the trails and ran through the woods Saturday afternoon at Oak Mountain State Park to cap a day that saw roughly 1,000 competitors take part in XTERRA-related events June 12 in the organization’s annual trip to Shelby County.

The children, ages 5-17, took part in XTERRA’s Kids-In-Training program, a triathlon for youth. Seth Rider, a 13-year-old from Germantown, Tenn., took home the trophy in the 11-17 year old division.

The day also featured XTERRA-sponsored 19K, 10K and 5K mud runs. Brandon Mader of Huntsville won the 19K mud run with his time of 1:19.11. Skip Hopkins and Josh West, both of Birmingham, finished second and third, respectively.

Alison Hulsey of Birmingham was the top female finisher in the 19K with her time of 1:39.04. Dawn Hurley of Fort Mitchell and Holley Sweeney came in third, respectively.

Joey Bemowski of Birmingham won the 10K mud run with his time of 47 minutes and 52 seconds. Dave Dejong of Pelham came in second overall and Logan Cook of Birmingham finished third.

Martina Holsey of Atlanta was the top female finisher in the 10K with her time of 56 minutes and 6 seconds. Kathy Stein of Birmingham and Jenny Logan of Birmingham finished second and third, respectively.

Sylacauga’s Marshall Cool won the 5K run with his time of 23 minutes and 21 seconds. Michael Schor of Birmingham finished second and Trussville’s Tanner Fulton came in third.

Helena’s Bryneth Caudill was the top female finished in the 5K with her time of 32 minutes and 5 seconds. Lauren Naile, also of Helena, came in second. Sally Thrasher of Birmingham finished third.

Outdoor enthusiasts also took part in the Buster Britton Memorial triathlon at Oak Mountain State Park.

Luke Farkas of Franklin, Tenn., won the male division with his time of 57 minutes and 36 seconds. Deanna Newman of Birmingham was the top finishing female with her time of 1:04.19.

Professionals gear up for Southeast Championship

The highlight of the weekend, XTERRA’s Southeast Championship, is set to take place June 13.

Professionals spent Saturday out of the sun to be prepared for the grueling heat and humidity.

XTERRA professional Cody Waite, currently ranked fifth in the national circuit, said the summer conditions in Alabama make the tour’s annual trip to Pelham one of the most difficult triathlons.

“It’s one of the favorites for a lot of people,” Waite said. It’s challenging from a technical standpoint. The only drawback is the weather. I’m not used to the heat and humidity.”

Waite said the Southeast Championship in Pelham is one of the most attended XTERRA stops on the national circuit.

“It’s the only stop that has the kids’ races,” Waite said. “It seems like it gets a lot of interest.”