Roanoke County will host the ninth annual Poor Mountain Hill Climb challenge in Roanoke, Virginia, just ten miles west of the city.
On October 5, racers will tackle a 6.75 mile long climb with 3,000 feet of climbing. For the first 1.5 miles, the course is paved and climbs gently. A wall of a half-mile of 13% grade (paved) then follows before a final four miles of hard packed dirt with some rocks over a grade ranging from 7 to 10%, with a few shorter, steeper sections. At the end, racers climb 0.75 miles with grades of 15 to 16%.
