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No Brain, No Pain
Mountain Biking's Ultramarathons
By Monique Cole
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"Cowards won't show and the weak
will die," reads an Iditasport bumper sticker. "You
ain't shit 'til you've had the revenge," claims a slogan
for Montezuma's Revenge. The nickname for the Matfield Green
100K is "The Flinthills Death Ride."
In the bravado-drenched world of mountain
bike ultramarathons, race promoters have been prone to verbal
fisticuffs in bars and on the Internet over whose race is the
toughest, the most extreme, the most painful. So we asked the
King of Pain himself, John Stamstad, which race he thought was
truly the hardest. Montezuma's Revenge was the winner. He added
that this grueling 24-hour biking/bush-whacking/mountaineering/orienteering
competition was also his favorite race. And therein lies
the reason Stamstad has won almost every ultra mountain bike
race that he has entered.
Many variables must be considered when
gauging relative toughness: altitude, weather, vertical gain,
technical difficulty, course finding requirements, and good old-fashioned
distance. Montezuma's Revenge scores high on all these points.
The low point of the race is 8,213 feet; the high point is 14,270
feet. Typical Rocky Mountain weather ranges from hot and dry
to cold and snowy with frequent thunder storms which make the
course's 12 crossings of the Continental Divide dangerous business.
None of the route is marked and some of it involves bush-whacking
where no trails exist.
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The former mining town of Montezuma,
Colorado, is the beginning and end of each of the nine different
loops that make up the course. In 1996 Stamstad set the course
record by getting halfway through the seventh loop, climbing
a total of 28,000 vertical feet, before the 24-hour cut-off.
"No human being could even do eight," Stamstad says.
"The human potential is for finishing the seventh loop."
Mostly paved and with three mountain
passes, the first loop is intended to weed out the gumbies before
the true race begins. With any luck a full moon will illuminate
the start of the second loop -- an ascent of 14,270-foot Gray's
Peak. Racers can ride up to about 12,000 feet where some will
dissemble and pack their bikes onto an external frame backpack
for the hiking trail that goes "straight the f--k up"
in the words of former race promoter Matt Lit.
Although the race has a limit of 30
entrants, organizers have never needed to deny registration.
Curious recreational riders are often discouraged after receiving
more details. So for those of you who think Montezuma's Revenge
is better left to Mexican touristas and guys like Stamstad, we've
compiled a comprehensive list that covers the full range of mountain
bike ultras, including four inaugural races.
West Coast Races
24 Hours of Donner Pass
Donner Ski Ranch, California
August 8-9, 1998
Course: As if the location -- where the infamous and cannibalistic
Donner Party ate their last meal --wasn't eerie enough, this
inaugural event will be held under a full moon. Organized by
Granny Gear Productions, of the 24 Hours of Moab and Canaan fame,
the event promises to be well run. The course will live up to
"Granny Gear's gnarlyness standards," according to
their promotional material, and will overlook Donner Lake.
Contact: Granny Gear Productions P.O. Box 189, Davis, WV 26260;
Phone: 304-259-5533; http://www.grannygear.com
Entry Fee: $100/team member, $150 for pro men's division
California 24 Hours of Adrenalin
race series
Laguna Seca, California -- June
13-14
Idyllwild, California -- October 3-4
The organizers of the popular Canadian Adrenalin series have
expanded, with races in Northern and Southern California. These
races are geared toward all levels of riders amidst a festival
atmosphere some have likened to Woodstock. The open age-group
class accommodates families and other mixed groups. Any five
people can race together regardless of their pro or amateur status
-- their combined ages will determine their class. Laguna Seca
Recreation Area will be the venue for the Bike Industry Challenge
where teams from Bike Magazine, MTB Review Magazine, Competitor
Magazine, Bell Sports, Niterider, Clif Bar, and Sports Center
Bicycles will try to prove they can practice what they preach.
Contact: Trilife Sports International, 7321 Victoria Park Ave.,
Unit #8, Markham, Ontario, L3R 2Z8, Canada; Phone: 905-944-9436;
http://www.trilife.com
Entry Fees (in U.S. dollars): Solo: $200, Two-Person Team: $300,
Four-Person Team (elite with cash prizes): $500, Five-Person
Team: $450, Corporate Team (6-10 riders): $700
Cascade Cream Puff 100
Westfir, OR
June 21, 1998
Course: "I've had several pro riders tell me that our course
has some of the best single track in the world," says race
co-promoter Richard Sweet. The 100+-mile course is made up of
three 34-mile laps of delicious single track, dirt road, and
gravel road with 5,000 vertical feet gained per lap. Course record
is 9 hours, 43 minutes, almost three hours longer than Leadville's
course record. Defying its name, the Cream Puff has a steep,
technical descent that leaves many racers looking forward to
the uphill. Better come home before dark, the cut-off is after
sun-down, usually around 7:30 p.m., about 15-16 hours after the
start. Now in its fourth year, the Cream Puff may fill up its
100-entrant capacity. Your entry fee includes a pre-race raffle,
two meals (the nights before and after the race), T-shirt, hat
(for finishers), free camping, well-stocked aid stations, and
a post-race massage.
Contact: Send self-addressed, stamped envelope to Scott Taylor,
1689 Charnelton Street, Eugene, OR 97401
Entry fee: $150 (no race day registration)
Eagle Mountain Epic 50-Mile Race
and Tour
Yuba Gap, California
July 12, 1998
Course: Racers will have to portage across the American River
three times and carry or push their bikes up a canyon wall on
this 50-mile loop that includes a total of 11,000 vertical feet
of climbing and one 16-mile single track section dropping 3,800
feet. The race is open to pro, expert and sport classes only,
while intermediate riders can enter the tour. Both will be held
in the Eagle Mountain Cross Country Ski Area and Mountain Bike
Resort.
Contact: Mark Lowenstern, Team Knobular P.O. Box 8314, Truckee,
CA 96162; Phone: 530-582-8900; http://www.knobular.com
Entry Fee: $45 (includes post-race meal)
Rocky Mountain Races
24 Hours of Moab
Moab, Utah
October 10-11, 1998
Course: Rolling terrain and sandy jeep trails compose the 11-mile
loop course of this 24-hour race held in the "Behind the
Rocks" area south of Moab. Autumn in the Utah desert offers
relatively mild weather along with great views of the area's
famous red sandstone bluffs and the snow-capped La Sal Mountains
in the distance. The structure of the race divisions is the same
as its sister race, the 24 Hours of Canaan. The race field fills
up fast, so get your registration in ahead of time.
Contact: Granny Gear Productions P.O. Box 189, Davis, WV 26260;
Phone: 304-259-5533; http://www.grannygear.com
Entry Fees: $100/team member, $150 for pro men's division
Laramie Range Enduro
Laramie, Wyoming
July 12, 1998
Course: This 100K (62 miles) race is a grand tour of Laramie's
diverse off-road offerings including Vedauwoo, Happy Jack, Pilot
Hill, and Cactus Canyon. Mostly single track and jeep road, the
course does include about 7 miles of pavement (of which riders
will climb 3,000 feet in 5 miles). The best bargain of all mountain
bike ultras, your race entry includes a T-shirt and three food/water
stations.
Contact: John Guerin, 1214 Kearney Street, Laramie, WY, 82070;
Phone: 307-742-3643; e-mail: guerin3j@vcn.com.
Entry fee: $25; $30 on race day
Leadville Trail 100
Leadville, Colorado
August 15, 1998
Course: If you want to be one of the some 500 people who race
the Leadville Trail 100 each year, start thinking ahead. Registration
fills up each year within weeks of opening. Views of Colorado's
highest 14,000-foot peaks, Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, dominate
this high-altitude 100-mile off-road race that starts at 10,200
feet and climbs to a high point of 12,600. The route is mostly
jeep road with a bit of pavement, a bit of single track, and
about 12,000 vertical feet of climbing. A handful of cyclists
will be working out their sore muscles by entering the Leadville
Trail 100 running race the following weekend.
Contact: To get an entry form for the 1999 race, send a self-addressed,
stamped envelope to P.O. Box 487, Leadville, CO 80461 or check
out the race website at http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~newtond/leadville/LT100.html
Entry fee: $175
Montezuma's Revenge: A 24-Hour Mountain
Bike Odyssey
Montezuma, Colorado
August 7-8, 1998
Course: See story introduction.
Entry Fee: $200
Contact: Byron Swezy, P.O. Box 2484, Dillon, CO 80435; 970-409-0170
or 970-668-8900; e-mail: cbst@bewellnet. com; http://www.gtvideo.com/zuma
Vail Ultra 100
Vail, Colorado
August 22, 1998
Course: This inaugural 100-mile race will take athletes from
the town of Vail to snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains
and arid desert near Wolcott. While a small handful of bikers
will be racing for first place, most will be trying to beat the
13-hour cut-off after climbing a total of over 10,000 vertical
feet. The majority of the course is on jeep and dirt roads, with
some single track, including a technical descent. Entries are
limited and will be accepted in the order received.
Contact: Highline Sports Group, Inc., 1000 Lionsridge Loop, Suite
11A, Vail, Colorado 81657; Phone: 970-476-6797; Fax: 970-476-6890;
e-mail: highline@colorado.net; Website: http://www.vail.net/highline
Entry Fees: $125 (NORBA), $130 (non NORBA)
East Coast & Midwest Races
24 Hours of Canaan
Timberline Resort, West Virginia
Early June, 1999
Course: The original day-long mountain bike race, the 24 Hours
of Canaan has grown from 36 teams in 1992 to about 450 teams
and 1,800 riders in 1998. Over 20,000 spectators show up for
this mountain bike event which is the largest east of the Mississippi.
This year's event sold out long before race day, so it's not
too early to start planning for '99. A winding trail, complete
with streams, rocky single-track, hills and mud, through the
Canaan Valley makes up the 11-mile loop. Along with a new solo
division, there are also different classes within the four- and
five-person relay teams, the most unique of which is the "Clydesdales"
-- each member must weigh at least 200 pounds or the four members'
weight must total 820 pounds.
Contact: Granny Gear Productions; P.O. Box 189, Davis, WV 26260;
Phone: 304-259-5533; http://www.grannygear.com
Entry Fees: $98 per rider except for pros, solos and duo pros
Matfield Green 100K
a.k.a. The Flinthills Death Ride
Matfield Green, KS
August 2, 1998
Course: If you think there are no hills in Kansas, think again
before signing up for the Matfield Green 100K. Last year only
270 of the 423 registered entrants finished this 74-mile trek
through the rolling grasslands of the Great Plains with climbs
totaling 5,391 feet. But race promoter John Hobbs is quick to
point out that "this is a ride, not a race." It's a
good idea not to be in too much of a hurry. Open range cattle
vie with dehydration for the honor of most dangerous hazard.
With average temperatures in the 90s and high humidity of summer
in Kansas, you may find yourself praying for another of the numerous
water crossings or one of the state's infamous thunder storms.
Contact: Great Plains Bicycles, Inc., 800-792-2453, 817 North
Main, Newton, KS 67114; e-mail: gpbbike@southwind.net; http://www2.southwind.net/~gpbbike
Entry fee: $30 (includes buffalo barbecue)
Northern U.S. & Canada Races
24 Hours of Afton
Afton Alps, Minnesota
August 14-15, 1998
Course: The seven-mile loop of this 24-hour race contains single
track, gravel road and cut grass trail. Riders can expect about
an 600-foot gain per lap on the hilly course that runs in and
out of a river valley/Midwestern ski area located about 15 minutes
from the Twin Cities. This low-key event has a field limit of
75, four-member teams with men's, women's, co-ed (2 men, 2 women),
and solo divisions.
Contact: Mike Pederson, 4517 47th Avenue South, Minneapolis,
MN 55406; Phone: 612-729-8898; http://scc.net/~mpeds/index.htm
Entry fee: Four-member teams: $160 by July 6, $200 by August
7, $240 through race day; Solo: $50 by July 6, $60 by August
7, $75 through race day.
Iditasport
Big Lake, Alaska
February 13, 1999
Course: Racers must carry survival and camping gear on this remote
100-mile race that follows the frozen Iditarod Trail. There are
four divisions -- mountain bike, ski, foot, and snowshoe -- with
cyclists always taking the lead. The trail passes through frozen
Alaskan taiga, a maze of stunted spruce trees, swamps, rivers
and lakes with views of Denali. Checkpoints are walled tents
or bush lodges where caribou sausage or moose stew might be on
the menu. Extra-wide SnowCat rims are essential gear as they
help a bike float on the snowy trail packed by snowmobile traffic.
Call All Weather Cycles in Fairbanks for SnowCat info, 907-474-8184,
or check out their web site at www.mosquitonet.com:80/~AWS.
Contact: Iditasport, P.O. Box 111667, Anchorage, AK 99511; Race
Director Bjarne Holm 907-346-3910; http://www.iditasport.com
Entry fee: $200
Iditasport Extreme
Knik, Alaska
February 27, 1999
Course: With the original Iditasport race being shortened by
60 miles, this 320-mile extreme version was added, in the words
of its promoter, "so no one thinks Dan Bull is getting soft."
The course follows the Iditarod Trail from Knik over the Alaska
Range dropping through the treacherous Dalzell Gorge and continuing
to the remote bush village of McGrath. "I almost died,"
says Bull about his 1998 finish in just under six days. John
Stamstad won (surprise!) in 3 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. The
last cyclist came in after spending almost seven days in the
unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Entrants must qualify for Iditasport
Extreme with at least one finish of the shorter Iditasport race.
Contact: Iditasport, P.O. Box 111667, Anchorage, AK 99511; Phone:
907-345-4505; http://www.iditasport.com
Entry fee: $500 (Does not include return flight from McGrath
and other costs estimated at an additional $500)
Kokanee 24 Hours of Adrenaline race
series
Kelso, Ontario -- July 4-5,
1998
Canmore, Alberta -- July 18-19, 1998
Whistler, British Columbia -- August 1-2, 1998
Hardwood Hills, Ontario -- August 15-16
Silver Star, British Columbia -- September 5-6
Course: A festival atmosphere surrounds this Canadian race series.
The Ontario race attracts over 1,000 participants and the music
and camping have prompted some to call it "Bikestock."
The open age-group class accommodates families and other mixed
groups. Any five people can race together regardless of their
pro or amateur status -- their combined ages will determine their
class. One favorite team is the "Hot Flashes," five
women over the age of 50 who have entered the Ontario race. Anti-social
types can opt for the popular solo division. Each race course
is different, so contact Trilife for more details. If you can't
commit to a full 24 hours, a new 12-hour format will debut this
year at Kelso, Ontario, July 4, and Whistler, British Columbia,
August 1.
Contact: Trilife Sports International, 7321 Victoria Park Ave.,
Unit #8, Markham, Ontario, L3R 2Z8, Canada; Phone: 905-944-9436;
http://www.trilife.com
Entry Fees (in Canadian dollars): Solo: $200, Two-Person Team:
$300, Four-Person Team (elite with cash prizes): $500, Five-Person
Team: $450, Corporate Team (6-10 riders): $700
Sidebar: Your First Ultra
- Start small: A team event like the
24 Hours of Adrenaline series will give you a feel for your pain
threshold before going solo.
- Eat much and often: "If you eat
enough, you can ride forever," says John Stamstad. He eats
about three packets of Gu per hour during a race. Practice consuming
food at consistent intervals during training rides.
- Drink, drink, drink: If you have the
habit of going for rides without water, break it. The stomach
problems most first-timers experience are almost always due to
dehydration.
- Go long: One or two long (6- to 8-hour)
rides per week are better training than several shorter rides.
They will train your quads, stomach, brain and buttocks what
it is like to be on a bike for hours on end.
- Be an early bird. If possible, arrive
at the race location a week before race day to acclimate to altitude
and weather and to ride the course.
- Do your homework: Find out what food
and drink mixes will be offered at the aid stations. If your
favorite flavor is not on the menu, pack it along -- zip-lock
bags are great for drink mixes. Fifty miles into a race is a
bad time to find out that banana-flavored Power Bars make you
sick.
- Pace yourself: During your long training
rides you should be able to determine what pace you can sustain
for an extended amount of time. Don't forget this when the gun
goes off and the adrenaline rush sets in. Sprinting for the first
few miles might mean you have fewer dead bodies to bunny hop
later on, but if you blow your wad early, you may have nothing
left for the long haul.
- Have fun: After all, you're paying
an entry fee for this, you might as well revel in your pain.
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