The course is set, the racers are training, and the last touches are being made for the O2X Summit Challenge at Sugarbush, a first-of-a-kind mountain running experience which will be unveiled Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014.

To register for the O2X Summit Challenge at Sugarbush, please go to http://www.o2x.com/pages/sugarbush-challenge

A mountain running experience for runners, hikers and nature lovers, O2X Summit Challenge Series events (www.O2X.com) feature multiple courses at each race venue for a variety of fitness levels. The Sugarbush Single Diamond course (4.1 miles with 1,504 feet net elevation gain) is designed for those with 5K and 10K running experience, while the Double Diamond course (5 miles with 2,552 feet elevation gain) will challenge hard-core runners and avid skiers getting ready for the upcoming season.

“O2X Summit Challenge Series is bringing fitness back to its outdoor roots and building an outdoor community at each and every event,” said O2X co-founder Gabriel Gomez.

Teams have flocked to the O2X Summit Challenge at Sugarbush, including Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey team members, teams from the Boston Police & Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, endurance athletes, local Vermont hikers and runners, a team from the New England Spahtens as well as multiple teams of candidates striving to become Navy SEALs from the Recruiting District Atlantic Coast preparing for BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training).

Featured racers have also committed, including ultramarathoner Frank Fumich – who raised more than $78,000 for Boston Marathon bombing victims over the course of a five-day, 450-mile run from D.C. to Boston. Fumich will be competing in the race and giving a featured presentation in the O2X BaseCamp.

Boston band Element 78 will headline the post-race celebration, as cash and prizes for category winners are given away throughout the night – including the “O2X Rise Higher Award” which will be awarded for the most inspiring racer, as nominated by racers and spectators prior to the event.

The base of Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen also will be home to an exciting and vibrant weekend-long “BaseCamp,” offering a variety of local foods and beverages, including Vermont beer and the Mad River Distillery. There will also be limited on-site camping, training-and-performance exhibits – slack lines & Bouldering Walls, and a farmer’s market-inspired gathering of local fare. Come Friday for a $15 Chili Buffet featuring three styles of chili served in bread bowls as well as hot corn bread around a blazing bonfire. Breakfast will be served the morning of the race and food and drinks during the rest of the day.

The dynamic and exciting collection of sponsors, partners and local supporters represented at BaseCamp include Juti Organics, Defense Mobile, Delta Dental, CamelBak, Vibram, Mad River Distillery, Vermont Smoke & Cure and Vermont Yak Company.  There will also be activities with local non-profits supporting the environment, and a creative and fun kids race.

As environmental leadership is a stated goal of the O2X Summit Challenge series, zero impact waste management will be spearheaded by REVERB, a company which also “greens” the concert events of the Dave Mathews Band, Jack Johnson, Brantley Gilbert, Phish, Maroon 5, Guster, John Mayer and others.

O2X organizers are committed to working with local suppliers to reduce shipping impact, avoiding single-serve packages and donating salvageable foods in the local area after the event. All O2X courses are built to U.S. Forest Service guidelines, and organizers are committed to a first-of-its kind Remediation Pledge to leave the mountain in better shape than they found it.

For more information on the O2X Summit Challenge at Sugarbush or to register, please go to http://www.o2x.com/pages/sugarbush-challenge.

Logo courtesy O2X Summit Challenge