Hundreds of athletes are converging on Alabama's largest state park for a major competition this weekend.
About 1,000 pro and amateur athletes will be at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham beginning Saturday for the XTERRA Southeast Championship.
The triathlon includes a one-mile swim, a 20-mile mountain bike ride and a 10k off-road run through woods just a few miles south of Birmingham.
This is the eighth straight year the regional competition has been held at Oak Mountain, which is considered one of the top mountain-biking destinations in the nation.
Organizers say athletes from 30 states and eight countries will participate.
The two-day Southeastern championship is the second of four regionals leading up to the XTERRA USA Championship, which will be held in Utah on Sept. 21.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.