XTERRA Arizona Series Gets Off to a Sizzling Start

Sean Hulburt wins Estrella Mountain race in his first XTERRA entry

The new season brought a new winner to the XTERRA Arizona Trail Run Series last weekend.

Sean Hulburt entered his first XTERRA Trail Run, and he wound up winning the XTERRA Estrella Mountain Trail Run on Sunday, Oct. 2, at Goodyear, Ariz.

Hulburt, 25, completed the 20-kilometer long course in 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds. He and his wife, Jen, moved to Tempe, Ariz., earlier this year, and they found the XTERRA Arizona Series through the internet.

"We're both runners and we just moved to Arizona and we were looking for races and this sounded like a fun one to do," he said. "It was great -- a really fun course."

Hulburt took the lead early in the course and then maintained it the rest of the way. Keith Walters made a late charge to finish in second place with a time of 1:24:57. Bryan Dunn was third in 1:27:23.

(Hulburt photo courtesy of Memorial University's www.goseahawks.ca)

"I thought I opened up the lead after the first four miles," Hulburt said. "I looked back and couldn't see anybody for two or three minutes. But then it started to get really hot in the last couple miles and I looked back and (Walters) was coming up fast, so I picked it up again."

Dawn Stone of Flagstaff, Ariz., placed eighth overall and was the first female with a time of 1:39:33. Stone was a standout in the XTERRA Arizona Series last year, but this was the first time she finished as the top overall female.

Priscilla Schultz placed second in 1:40:24, and Katie Ellis was third in 1:43:31.

Jen Hulburt, Sean's wife, placed fifth among the women with a time of 1:45:48. The Hulburts were members of the cross country team at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada, as recently as last year.

Close to 300 runners braved the desert heat to participate in the event. Temperatures were in the mid-80s at the start of the race in the morning, but rose to nearly 100 by mid-morning. In addition to the 20-kilometer long course, there was also a shorter 8-kilometer course.

For complete results, click HERE.

The Estrella Mountain Trail Run was the first of four races on the 2010-11 season schedule for the XTERRA Arizona Trail Run Series. Each race in the series will feature a long course and a shorter course, so runners of all ages and skill levels can participate.

The next race in the series is the XTERRA White Tanks Trail Run at Waddell, Ariz., on January 10. To register for a race, or to learn more about the series, please visit www.aztrailrace.com or www.xterratrailrun.com.

Arizona is one of 12 regions that are hosting an XTERRA Trail Run Series during the 2011-12 season. The others are Alabama, Southern California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Southern Ohio, Pocono, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. At the conclusion of the season, the top age-group runners from each region will receive a free entry to participate in the XTERRA Trail Run National Championship in September 2012.

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