About the Hill of Truth Festival

History

The Hill of Truth Festival started as a 12 hour mountain bike race at Haw Ridge park in 1999. The race, known as the 12 Hours of the Hill of Truth (or HOT for short) immediately found itself the staple annual event for the local mountain biking community. The original directors (John-Todd Baker and Kent Bailey) loved seeing the event flourish as something more than a race, but a way for the community to gather and bond together.

"The heart of the HOT race was always getting people together around a camp fire and sharing stories, no matter the background or age of the people around the campfire. The race is great and all, but it's really the people and the atmosphere that make the HOT so memorable." - Kent Bailey

After directing the race for 20 years, John-Todd Baker and Kent Bailey passed the torch on to a then new community organization, the Clinch Valley Trail Alliance (CVTA) who jumped on the chance to continue the race, it traditions, and bonding opportunity for our region's trail community.

Festival Details

The Hill of Truth Festival takes place on October 7th and 8th, 2023 at the Haw Ridge Campground just down from the CVTA HQ on Old Edgemoor Road at Haw Ridge Park in Oak Ridge, TN.

On Saturday October 7th, the 12 Hours of the Hill of Truth mountain bike race will start at 9 a.m. and continue through to 9 p.m. Sunday morning at 9 a.m., October 8th runners will compete in the HOT Trot trail running race which takes place on the same course as the mountain biking race. Haw Ridge is home to a number of trail running races throughout the year and we appreciate all of our trail users. If you don't want to run, you can walk or bring the dog for a hike. The race course for both events will be between 7-8 miles.

NEW FOR 2023! 12 Minutes of Little Skittle!

This year we will have a free kids race at Little Skittle, the new kid-sized mountain bike skills park and trail system. Riders will be divided into categories- pedal (by wheel size) and balance bike and will ride as many laps as possible in 12 minutes. Kids and parents will meet at the Dirt Lab at 3 p.m. on Saturday and parents must sign a waiver. There will be prizes!

We're working to put together a skills area at CVTA HQ for folks to test their riding ability throughout the event.

The campfire will begin on Saturday evening around dusk at the campground; we plan to have music, and are hoping to have vendors on site to serve food and beverages most of the day.

Event details are continuing to evolve, so be sure to check back for updates. This is a fun, family event and we are brainstorming some fresh ideas to make the Hill of Truth Festival even more fun for everyone!