Warm spring temperatures and exceptionally dry trails greeted riders at the 6 Hours of Frog Hollow. In it’s second year as a springtime event the Frog Hollow 6 offered up an excuse for riders to escape to the desert and rack up season early-season miles.
After a short run to start the race it quickly became apparent who had the best legs of the day. Chris Holley (Mayan Apocalypse), racing on a coed duo team with his wife KC, shattered the early lead group on his way to posting the fastest lap of the race at 48 minutes and one second. Holley was simply untouchable in Frog Hollow. The entire race saw only 3 lap times under 50 minutes and Holley was responsible for two of them.
Chris and KC would go on to dominate the day in a fast coed duo category, taking first place by a comfortable margin over Zeppelin and Nicole Tittensor (Team Tittensor) and Jen Hanks and Shannon Boffeli on the Pivot/Epic Brewing crew. These three coed teams finished in the top-7 overall for the entire race.
Sam Sweetser finishes up after 6 hours and 80 miles in Frog Hollow
Cary Smith (The Hub) had the fastest time for the entire 6-hour event besting all teams with a spectacular solo effort. Smith laid down the second fastest opening lap and went thirty seconds faster on his next lap.
After establishing a healthy gap on Sam Sweetser (Cole Sport), his closest competition, Smith settled into a pace that allowed him to knock off lap after lap in just over 50 minute increments. Smith completed 6 full laps and just over 80 miles to take the win 15 minutes clear of Sweetser in second.
Aaron Hagge (Diamond Peak) finished third.
Colorado endurance specialist Jari Kirkland (Grigg’s Orthopedics) crushed the solo women’s field while completing 5 laps and 68 miles in 5 hours 8 minutes.
Kirkland powered through the course, as she often does, posting almost identical lap times with every circuit.
Her closest competition came from Parker Tyler (White Pine Touring) who stayed within sight of the leader for first two laps but couldn’t match Kirkland’s consistency in the end.
Jules Ernst finished third.
Heidi Volpe takes the win in the women’s single speed race
Many riders were competing with the memory of a recently fallen friend on their minds. Singlespeed phenom AJ Linnell was registered for the Frog Hollow race but tragically lost his life in a plane crash near his home in Victor, Idaho, last weekend. Linnell’s beaming smile and affable personality were missed at the event but it was clear his spirit was with many of the riders especially solo singlespeed winner Cole Anderson who hoisted a sign bearing AJ’s name on the podium.
Click here for full results from all categories
Riders on course with the towers of Zion National Park in the distance
Jen Hanks on course
