Rootrock MTB
The 2nd Annual Rootrock MTB at Briar Chapel puts mountain bikers of all ability to the test on fun and challenging courses that include a mixture of smooth and flowing dirt trails, rock and root strewn single-track, and punchy hill climbs. Complimented by the 5th Annual Rootrock Trail Run (5K/10K/Half Marathon) held the day before, Rootrock MTB is the second leg of the Rootrock Trail Races. Get pumped for an awesome day of MTBing, and an excellent weekend of trail racing action!
Sprawling over 900 acres and located on the south side of Chapel Hill, NC, Briar Chapel is a green community that boasts a vast network of forested hiking and mountain biking trails. In addition to fantastic trails, centrally located Great Meadow Park, with its beautiful lawn, stage, and pavilion, offers a perfect setting area to start and finish a race. After racing, athletes will enjoy a festive vibe, post-race food, great music, and a fun awards ceremony with lots of giveaways.
Courses
Briar Chapel has 20+ miles of AWESOME single-track. There are some easy, flat mellow areas but most of the trails at Briar Chapel offer a fun challenge and include plenty of rocks, roots, and hills. Overall, we would categorize the trails at Briar Chapel as moderately technical. There are two courses that make up this race, a short loop (5.5 miles) and a long loop (12 miles). We will start in waves according to class and have arranged the start order and flow of the waves so there will be limited passing between waves. The sport/single-speed racers will start first and complete one short loop, then a long loop for a total of 17 miles. Next up are the beginners/juniors that will complete one short loop for a total of 5.5 miles. Experts are next and will complete two long loops for a total of 24 miles. And finally, the Intermediates will complete one long loop for a total of 12 miles. Each wave will start with .3 miles of wide pavement, perfect for separating the field of racers. After that, racers hit the trails, and stay on the trails, except for a few road crossings and a couple of short paved sections.
