NUE Wilderness 101

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Jen Toops

On July 23th, 2022, Shenandoah Mountain Tours held the Wilderness 101 ultra and marathon races in Coburn, PA. The Wilderness 101 is part of the NUE National Ultra Endurance Race Series. This east coast course takes you through the Bald Eagle and Rothrock state forests of Pennsylvania, and is know for pristine mountain streams, old growth forests and rocky backcountry single track.

Photo credit: Cimarron Chacon

Coburn, PA

The gravel was fast, trails were dry, but it was a scorcher as temps reached mid 90’s with sunny skies. After a hard days work, racers were greeted at the finish line with well deserved BBQ and beer included with the entry fee.

BBQ included with registration

Camping was also included with registration in Coburn Park. This is the staging area making for a trouble-free race morning and celebration at the finish line.

2 nights of camping included with registration. Photo credit: Cimarron Chacon

The Finish Line!

Women’s Open 101 Mile

Taking the win in the Women’s open, Britt Mason (Knobby by Nature), finished with a time of 8:17:37. This is her second NUE win for 2022 previously taking the win at NUE Mohican race. She also won the W101 in 2021.

Women’s 100 mile podium: 1st Britt Mason, 2nd Jen Toops, 3rd Libbey Sheldon, 4th Liz Wolf, 5th Julia Thumel

2021 NUE Champion, Jen Toops (Pearl Izumi/ Pivot MTB), finished 2nd with a time of 8:59:38.

” I decided to race my Pivot Les Hardtail this year since there is so much gravel. It climbed like a rocket. I tried to hold Britts wheel as long as I could but ended falling off on the rolling gravel about an hour into the race. From then I started my own race. I didn’t have a lot of ride time on the Les prior to racing and had a brand new dropper. It took a bit to get the feel for the bike in the chunky singletrack. I also decided to try a race with no data and just ride by feel. Mid race I started feeling real nauseated and had trouble eating. I could only get down Honey Stinger gels and Carborocket electrolyte mix. I dialed it back a bit. Libbey and Julia passed me and we went back and forth for miles. Finally I decided to get off the bike and lay in a river to cool off. Then the next aid station had ice packs. That was just what I needed and was ready to rally. I focused on pushing the climbs since my Les was made for climbing and took it easier on the rocky singletrack. People were flatting left and right but my Maxxis Rekon Race held strong. On one descent there was a Timber Rattler shaking its tail at me and too close to my foot for comfort! Talk about scary! Then we saw another one on a gravel descent! Ended up seeing Libbey around mile 82 and was able to hold P2 until the finish! Super strong ladies field this year especially with the heat! Next NUE race is Shenandoah! Thanks to Sponsors: Pearl izumi, Pivot Cycles, Maxxis, Ergon, SCC tech, Carborocket, Honey Stinger, Lazer, Stans.

The third step went to, Libbey Sheldon (CXhairs Devo), with a time of 9:01:51.

Fourth place went to, Liz Wolf, with a time of 9:21:39. Julia Thumel (Bigfoot Endurance) finished fifth in 9:30:26.

Men’s Open 101 Mile

100 Miles Men’s Open Podium: 1st Patrick Collins, 2nd Ian Schwing, 3rd David Hendrix, 4th Dan Atkins, 5th Nelson Odreman

Taking the win in the men’s open was, Patrick Collins (Assabet River Bicycles), with a blistering fast time of 7:27:52.

“This was my second W101 and I came into it motivated for redemption after flatting out of the lead in a bad spot last year. With the heat and humidity, the start was reserved, with the group taking it pretty easy until the aid station 1, where Ian Schwing and I opened up the throttle on the first trail climb and we got a gap. I was excited for a solid day with a good riding partner… but things turned out differently. On the descent, I flatted. The hole was too big for a CO2 + plug to hold air. I rode it a very low pressure until it went flat again a few miles later, when I put a tube in. This set me back a lot. I was frustrated but was committed to not giving up, as these races are so long and so much can happen. I went to some pretty physical and mental dark places the rest of the race to claw my way back, even with stopping to fix two more flats and crashing while riding a front flat for miles. Coming into aid station 2, someone said I was nearly a half hour back. I closed it down to 15 mins at station 3, 8-10mins station 4, 2mins station 5, then caught and passed Ian on the final climb and I went on to win by a handful of minutes. Huge thanks to the other racers that gave me CO2s and tubes to keep me going. We are all friends out in the backcountry. I love this community and the NUE series. After the race I went straight to the river to take a dip to cool off. I forgot my black Vittoria shoes there, so if anyone found them, please let me know! :) Big thanks to my sponsor Assabet River Bicycles for the continued support that makes it all possible. If you’re in the central MA area, ARB is your go-to shop for excellent customer service! My next NUE races will be Shenandoah and Marji Gesick. ”

Just a few minutes back and taking second place, Ian Schwing (Flow Formulas), finished with a time of 7:32:07.

“It was a great day for me out there. Knew the temperatures would get hot and the rest of the racers seemed to be on the same page, as the first hour half of the race was a nice easy roll to Rothrock. Went to the front on the first climb with only Patrick to keep my pace, was glad I wasn’t alone as I knew it would be a long hard day alone. Unfortunately, Patrick flatted which led me with a tough choice, to which I decided to send it alone and pray nobody catches back on. I’ve never been in a situation like this in a 100-mile race, so there were lots of nerves, thoughts, and plenty of looking back to see if there were any riders. Kept the pace high, but comfortable for me. The gap seemed to grow larger, and I kept the pace up, knowing the heat would affect me, and not having any riders to work with at the later part of the course. However, it wasn’t enough to stay away the whole race. Patrick finally caught me on the last climb like I was standing still. Tried to hang on his wheel but couldn’t push it to the end. Hats off to him for not giving up after his flat tire issues and pushing through the hot weather! Shout out to Flow Formulas for the awesome support, as I look to take on Leadville this August, Shenandoah, and a full collegiate race season this fall!”

Third palce finisher, David Hendrix (Shirk’s Bike Shop), crossed the line in 7:47:04.

Dan Atkins (Bigfoot Endurance) took fourth place in 7:47:33, and Nelson Odreman (Vida Cycling/Trek) finished fifth with a time of 7:56:26.

Singlespeed 101 Mile

100 Mile Singlespeed Podium: 1st Thad Paunovich, 2nd Eli Orth, 3rd Sam Farmer, 4th David Taylor, 5th Kevin Claus

Taking the win in the singlespeed division, Thad Paunovich (IPMC Pro Bike & Run), with a time of 8:16:55.

“The Wilderness 101 was my second NUE race of the year. I did the Mohican 100 back in May and dealt with cramping for most of the race due to the heat and lack of proper race nutrition/hydration, I assume. Leading up to the W101, I was keeping my eye on the temps and it was shaping up to be another humid scorcher like the W101 usually is. I made the commitment to really focus on my hydration and nutrition intake for this race so that I wouldn’t end up like I did at last year’s W101 crawling to the finish line. The race started out at a pretty moderate pace going up the 1,000ft first climb. I stayed with the lead group until the gravel roads started to flatten out. When racing a singlespeed, it is always a tough call for me on when and when not to try and spin with the fast geared guys on the flat stuff. Sometimes it really pays off but other times you end up burning too many matches spinning your legs off. Eli and I dropped off the geared guys and spun some of the flatter gravel together for a little while. I decided to catch the next geared guy’s wheel that came through and away I went. I opened up a gap between me and the rest of the SS’ers and I was like, I just gotta make this stick for the next 80 miles or so lol. It worked. I rode a lot of the next 80 miles either solo or with 1-3 people staying on top of my nutrition, stopping at aid stations for bottle swaps and to fill up my water bottles with cold water to keep me refreshed. I am becoming familiar with the Central Pennsylvania east coast rocks having done the TSE 5 day stage race the past 2 years and having done the W101M twice and the W101K once. I believe this previous knowledge of the trails helped me ride the rocks relatively pretty smooth on my hardtail SS and allowed me to keep a consistent pace throughout the race. I got to the big Stillhouse double track climb around mile 65 with my 34×20 gearing and was like I just gotta go for the last 35 miles and not let Eli see me. I cleaned Stllhouse and stayed on the gas all the way up through about mile 95. I started to fade on the hike a bike section after the last climb with 5 miles to go. Fellow Pittsburgh’er, Russell Shorkey came by me and told me to finish strong and that’s what I did not having much left in the engine. Held off an always strong and consistent Eli Orth by less than 3 minutes and got my 2nd NUE Singlespeed Win this time at the WilderneSS 101.Up next for me on the NUE Race Schedule is the Shenandoah 100 over Labor Day weekend, a personal favorite because of the big long climbs and the ever so fun swooping, fast descents in the beautiful Virginia Backcountry. I would like to give a HUGE thank you to all of the Race Directors and wonderful volunteers that make these 100 mile MTB races possible, along with PRO Bike & Run who has supported me in such big ways over the past couple years helping me pursue my passion and love of riding/racing bikes! I always have to thank my family, friends, inspirors, motivators, and even trash talkers who support me and continue to fuel my fire for racing bikes! I am truly Blessed!”

After suffering a slight mechanical, Eli Orth (Dean Titanium Bikes), finished just a few minutes back in 8:19:30.

“Wilderness 101 was my 3rd NUE race on the year. As usual I raced single speed in the epic category. This was my first time doing Wilderness since 2019. In 2019 it was crazy hot with a heat index of 110. This year going in was looking to be a similar hot day. It was HOT but not as bad as I remember 2019 thankfully. The race opening miles and climbs were at a pretty easy pace. I waited for someone to open up and pick up the pace but everyone seemed content with it. I decided to see if I could pick up the speed of lead group in hopes I could latch onto a faster group in the flatter section after first climb. It worked and a group of 10 or so was able to open some distance. With there being such a big and strong group of single speeders I wanted to try and take advantage of my stouter gearing than most others had early on. After the pull for a while myself and Thad were the only single speeders around and were left to ourselves. We settled in and talked a bit. Thad made another push about 20 miles in and I decided to stay at my pace and not chase. At mile 25 I heard a weird noise coming from my rear hub on a chunky gravel section. I didn’t want to stop in the middle of the downhill so I coasted to the bottom. Once I was off the bike I saw I had broken a spoke and it was twisted between the chain and the cog. I got it untwisted and wrapped only to have to stop again and wrap the other part of the broken spoke that was hitting the frame. For a while I stayed a little cautious seeing if it would hold up. Luckily it did! I was able to retain second place and was surprisingly closer to Thad at the finish as he finished a couple minutes ahead of me. Given the mechanical it was a great race. My decision to run a 34×19 versus my previous time running 34×20 at W101 seemed to work well. Thanks to all my sponsors. The fresh Kenda Boosters were flawless and the 8 bottles of CarboRocket 333 kept the cramps away and gave me the race nutrition I needed to keep the pace up. Also the best grips.. Esi grips, AbsoluteBLACK for their oval, and Stages. Special thanks to Dean for a custom titanium frame I can have confidence in on the gnarly Pa rocks. Plenty of rocks out there to ruin a day. ”

Third place, Sam Farmer crossed the line in 8:32:23.

Fourth place, David Taylor(Turbo Certified), crossed the line in 8:47:20. Just a few minutes back, Kevin Claus (Rare Disease Cycling), took fifth place in 8:49:48.

Masters 101 Mile

Winning the Masters Division, Keith Papanicolas (Badass Coaching), finished in 8:14:40.

Almost thirty minutes back, Bruce Stauffer (Cycle Works), crossed the line in 8:42:22.

Taking third place, Rob Campbell (Freeze Thaw Cycles), finished in 9:00.

In fourth place was, Zane Wenzel (Team Horst Sports), finished in 10:22:32. Fifth place went to Paul Hoda with a time of 10:35:22.

Women’s Open Marathon

Marathon Women’s Podium: 1st Kelly Catale, 2nd Bryna Blanchard, 3rd Abigail Snyder, 4th Paula Coyos, 5th Jen Tillman

Leading the NUE women’s marathon series and taking the top step, Kelly Catale (Team Kellcat), finished first with a time of 6:02:12.

“This was my first ever Wilderness 101k and I was extremely excited to experience the long-standing race but, admittedly, was less excited to race in the forecasted heat wave. After my horrendous experience during the hot and humid Mohican 100 earlier in the season, I knew that managing hydration and keeping my core temperature down were going to be the biggest challenges for the day. Knowing that the course was 76 miles (13+ miles more than an actual 101k…) and being unfamiliar with the terrain, I had an aggressive goal to finish the race in under 6 hours, but I had no clue if it was possible.

The race started with a neutral roll along Penns Creek before the first big climb. I stuck with the lead pack of men up almost the entire climb, but was dropped toward the end. Luckily a smaller group of men caught me shortly after and we pacelined along the gravel roads until the first singletrack, Dutch Alvin. I pulled away from all but one of the guys and found myself chasing up the climb. At the first aid station and all of the subsequent aid stations, my husband was ready with ice-filled pantyhose to put down the back of my jersey, cold water to drink and dump over my head, and new race bottles. With a solid fueling plan, plenty of fluids, and the ice down my back, I was able to ride steady for the entire day. Much of the race flew by in a sun-soaked blur until we hit the last hike-a-bike section that nearly broke me. Someone warned me that I would have to hike with my bike for a few minutes near the end of the race, but I didn’t realize just how rugged that trail would be. After many hours of racing, trying to lift my bike over large boulders was about the last thing my body wanted to do. I was determined, though, to break 6 hours and I was still just barely on track, so after I got back onto my bike, I pushed hard until I was nearly cross-eyed, and wound up in someone’s backyard (made a wrong turn…). After finding my way back to the race course, I finished strong and ended at 6:02, just 2 minutes off my goal. All things considered, I was pretty pleased with the effort. I want to extend a thank you to my amazing sponsors who helped make the day possible: Seven Cycles, Voler Apparel, Industry Nine, Vittoria Tires, Flow Formulas, Ride Headquarters, Gold Medal CBD, Julbo Eyewear. And the biggest thank you goes to my amazing husband, Joe, for another smooth race weekend. Lastly, thank you to the amazing volunteers along the course who made the event possible!”

No stranger to the W101 races, Bryna Blanchard (BMB Racing) took home a second place finish with at time of 6:49:56.

“I love visiting PA, and I could feel my excitement building at we drove closer to Coburn through the rolling farm fields and pastures surrounded by flat top ridges. I could picture most of the single track in my head, chunky piles of rocks, rooty switch backs, and fast techy descents. I love this terrain, it’s familiar to me and inspires me to ride aggressively, which is alway helpful for racing. The Wilderness 101k course is highly variable, with long sections of smooth gravel roads interspersed with very technical single track, and a good amount of rugged backcountry double tack. Each section requires very different strategies for racing. It is also a uniquely long distance for a “100k” at 77 miles. My plan was to ride steady up the starting dirt road climb and pace myself for the long day ahead. Luckily, I hooked up with 3 other riders for road racing tactics, pace lining the initial 20+ dirt road miles before hitting the 1st single track. I entered the woods in 3rd place and caught up to 2nd on the trail, feeling relaxed and balanced on the bike, happy to be in the woods. We entered the first aid station together and rode out together back onto a dirt road climb. Still with many hours to go and feeling strong I kept my steady pace and was able to pull ahead. The next several miles of single tracks consist of rocks; uphill rocks, downhill rocks, piles of rocks, large and small. Some days are just on and riding the rocks feels like flow, until it doesn’t. Only one minor crash, a few dabs and I rode through it with a smile in good time. The Specialized Epic Evo performed perfectly, like it was designed for this terrain, and so much fun to ride! At this point the course follows a series of undulating rough unmaintained double tracks with a very backcountry feel. The challenge is to avoid flats while maintaining speed on the long bumpy descents. “Stay light, don’t flat” played through my head for many miles. The next distinguishing course feature consists of a 20+ minute class IV road climb that I know well. Once again I chose to tempo up the climb instead of pushing the pace, still many many miles to go. The remainder of the course becomes a bit blurry with fatigue setting in, some smoother single track, fast dirt road descents and painful little climbs. Without knowing the proximity of my competition, my focus turned to pushing through tired legs without blowing up or slowing down too much. With the memory of past experiences getting caught in the final miles, I raced to the finish line, feeling spent but not yet in survival mode. Racing smart, pacing and riding technically well earned me a great day on the bike and a very satisfying result. Thank you to Barker Mountain Bikes for the awesome new race rig and continued support.”

Taking third place was, Abigail Snyder (Ride Fierce Racing), with a time of 7:02:30.

” I got 3rd in the Open Women 100k this weekend, and I’m totally stoked with that result! It was brutally hot, and I started out really strong (in 2nd until halfway), but had to dial it waaay back because of the heat. Perhaps most annoying, my fork malfunctioned today and wouldn’t compress, so the singletrack just beat on me… it felt sooo rough and awkward to ride! All that being said, I borrowed a friend’s aero bars for this weekend and they probably saved me–without them, my hands would have been absolutely shattered—and they were super fast on the gravel segments!! Now to rest, recover, and get my bike in working order (and UCI-legal—no Togs or aero bars next weekend!) before heading to Snowshoe! Many thanks to Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Roanoke Outside, RND Coffee, Cardinal Bicycle, Osmo Nutrition, and ESI Grips for their support this season! I can’t wait to see everyone again at the Shenandoah Mountain 100k in September. ”

Fourth place was Paula Coyos (Patapsco Bicycles) crossing the line in 7:31:03. Taking the fifth spot was Jen Tillman (Knobby by Nature) with a time of 7:31:33.

Men’s Open Marathon

Marathon Men’s Podium: 1st Ryan Stahnke, 2nd Anthony Grinnell, 3rd Phillip Maynard, 4th Shawn Alexander, 5th Craig Hoddy

Winning the Men’s marathon race, Ryan Stahnke (Trestle Bridge Racing) crossed the line in 5:50:45

Just a few minutes back, Anthony Grinnell (Syndicate Cycling), took second place with a time of 5:52:24.

“I knew it was going to be a very hot and humid day so I wanted to control my pace and race smart. All was going well up the first big climb with a manageable and appropriate pace, until about 2/3rds of the way up when someone in our pace line decided to jack his brakes. This caused the rider in front of me to crash, which caused me to ride up on to his bike and slam the gravel. My entire left side took a beating including my hamstring, IT band, hip, butt, ribs, and a laceration on my arm. I got up as quickly as I could because I knew if I wasn’t on the lead group by the top of the climb, they’d pull a huge gap on the next 20 miles before the single track. That’s where my strategy of not redlining went out the window, right along with a bunch of burnt matches. Gapping back up with a barely functioning left leg was brutal and the muscles in my hamstring and hip were killing me the entire race. I pushed through it and kept clicking off the miles, but the power just wasn’t there and my left leg kept wanting to seize up front the deep bruising. With all things considered, I’m really happy with a second place finish. The S-Works Epic Evo was flawless the whole race, so big thanks to Pro Bike & Run for hooking me up with the best bike in the industry. Big thanks to Shorkey Auto Group, McQueen Athletes, Koo Eyewear, KASK helmets, Flow Formulas, Wolftooth Components, and Extreme Nano Lubricants for supporting the Syndicate Cycling team. Next stop- Shenandoah!”

Taking the third place on the podium was, Philip Maynard (CNYC/NYCM Insurance), with a time of 5:58:18.

“With a 9am start, the day was already sweltering when the marathon race kicked off. Nobody was eager to push the pace on the road, so we rolled casually into the first climb, where about fifteen riders formed a breakaway group. Knowing patience would be key, I hung back and let them get maybe a minute ahead by the top. A chase group of six formed and worked very well on the rolling terrain before the first singletrack, but failed to bring the leaders back. I led into the singletrack, my specialty, and set a strong pace. Only Kelly Catale (Team Kellcat), eventual women’s winner, was able to follow, although even she lost a few seconds before we were back on dirt roads. From there on it was a time trial, picking off riders as they succumbed to the heat, poor pacing, crashes, or getting slowed down by the rocky singletrack. A plush bike (Yeti SB100) and fat 2.4″ tires at low pressure (17.5/18.5psi, no inserts) were key to moving quickly, and I mostly held my own on the road, and then passed riders rapidly whenever it got rough. Anthony Grinell (Syndicate Cycling) had been caught in an early crash, and was trying to recover at Aid 4, when I caught up and joined him on Stillhouse. Anthony let me know there was only Ryan Stahnke (Trestle Bridge Racing) ahead, and somehow shaking off the effects of his crash, opened up nearly a minute on me before the top. An informal aid station at Sand Mountain Trail sped me up dramatically with an ice pack to shove down my back, and I kept Anthony in sight across Sand Mountain and onto Panther Run, but lost him for good on the final Panther climb. Some dirt bikes passed me on panther, but I caught them on the descent, which held me up only slightly before the long Poe Paddy grind, in what was now oppressive heat. At this point I was barely able to keep moving, with good legs but extremely limited by the heat. At the bottom of Cherry Run I hopped off into the stream and soaked for a moment, shedding enough heat to keep moving over Old Mingle and through to the finish. I pedalled quickly enough to hold off everyone behind, but continued hemorrhaging time to Anthony, who was on a mission and nearly caught Ryan before the finish. I ended up with a 5:58, eight minutes behind Ryan, and six behind Anthony. It was one of the least enjoyable races I’ve done, but one of the most satisfying efforts to have pushed through!”

Coming in fourth place was Shawn Alexander (Clarkson University) with a time of 6:18:41 and fifth place was Craig Hoddy with a time of 6:27:59.

Singlespeed Marathon

Winning the Marathon Singlespeed division, Tate Clemson (Trestle Bridge Racing), finished in 7:25:30.

“I didn’t really know what to expect going in to this event, as it was the first of its kind I’ve done. I had talked to Stewart Gross and a few other member of Trestle Bridge Racing beforehand to get an idea of what it was going to be like, but the actual race was totally different than how it was described. Started out with a big group and by the top of the first climb it had thinned out with me being the only single speed rider left, so I knew I was going to be in a good position. I felt good on most of the climbs until mile 40 with the mind numbingly long climb post aid-station 4. I pretty much put my head down from that point on and decided to just keep peddling no matter what, and before I knew it I was crossing the line. Super grateful to have finished, and let alone win, such an awesome race. Shoutout to my great sponsors at Flow Formulas and Stan’s NoTubes for keeping me hydrated and without issue for the race. I definitely hope to come out for more of the NUE series in the future now.”

Finishing second was Robert Toedter (Carl Hart MTB) in 8:55:04.

Masters Marathon

Master’s Podium: 1st Amir Matityahu, 2nd Paul Arlinghaus, 3rd Dorel Stoia

Taking the win in the Master’s division, Amir Matityahu (Trail Head Racing), finished in 6:02:06.

“The Wilderness 101 race was my first race in Pennsylvania. The location at Coburn Park and nearby Millheim, PA took me back to Med School in Philadelphia and clinical rotations in Amish Country. I stayed in Millheim, above a coffee shop, in a circa 1,800 building with rickety old wood floors and a slightly sloping deck that overlooked open-mic nights at the Coffee Bean. A surreal experience. As usual, flew in, picked up a car, went to the motel, and built my bike on the Thursday night before the race. In preparation for the race, I looked at the GPS file, watched videos, trained hard, and knew the weather was going to be hot and humid. I’m lucky to have solid support at home from my wife and kids. My major concern was the heat.Day before the race, I went for an hour ride to check the bike with openers. The local racers were friendly, inclusive, and welcoming. This relaxed setting was in contrast to the brutal race ahead. The Wilderness 101 race was a mass start that began at 9am. The race was 75 miles with 7,200 ft of elevation gain. There were basically 6 climbs. The last of which was 2.7mi, 5% grade climb, in exposed 90deg humid weather. I dropped 3 bags with 2 bottles, gels, chain lube, pickle juice in Aid stations 3, 4, and 5. I started with two bottles on the frame and gels in my pocket. We were 20 masters on the start line. We were all nervous chit chat and introductions. It was the calm before the storm. The countdown started and we were off. The race started on a road, then onto gravel for the first 24 miles. Super-fast and with elevation gain of 2,200 ft. There was a wheel touch and accident behind me. Everyone was OK. It was lucky to be in front of it. We were in a front group of 6 riders, 3 masters, and 3 in the open field. We then did a sharp left turn into a single track climb with rocks, roots, sharp turns, and step-ups. I was 4^th in to the 25mi hole shot. Up to this point in the race, I was pushing hard to stay in front, but was passed by a couple of guys and lost the front 3. The roots, random rocks and rock gardens on the single track section were tough as a first ride through. Finding the lines and flow was difficult for much of the single track. There were small sections of flow. But, mostly jarring rocky riding with a “thank you Rabbit Sanchez for full suspension.” The race continued through forest, rock gardens, then gravel. The heat was beginning to take it’s toll. I was in no man’s land. Could not share the load on most flat sections. There was lots of time on my own, riding with no soul in site. Luckily, I caught up to Kelly C and a 100mi rider and had some company toward the end. Somehow, the last 15 miles, I was re-energized like a horse getting close to his barn. And, after 6 hours and 2 minutes, crossed the finish line with intense relief in masters first place. Then, there was great beer and food, as befitting an amazing mountain biking day. I would summarize the day as a fast, tough, hot, long, jarring single-track and gravel day in the humid heat of Amish Country. Super fun and will do it again. Bike: Full Suspension Specialized SWORKS Epic Evo (120 front shock) Tires: Continental Race King Protection 2.2, Tire pressure 22psi rear, 20psi front. Team Sponsors: Trailhead Cyclery, Specialized, Nuun, SRAM, Beyond Fistula, Fox Next NUE race: Telluride, CO.”

Second place went to, Paul Arlinghaus (Crooked Creek), with a time of 6:28:03.

“With 90+ degree temps and a 75 miles course I had never ridden, I decided to ride a conservative race. I watched as a group of 20 riders pulled away up the up Millheim Pike. About 7 miles in, I saw George Ganoung along the road putting a tube in his rear tire. I expected him to come flying by me at some point, but this gave me some encouragement that this would be a hard race to finish and a steady pace was a good plan. I settled in and joined a small group over the top of Crowfield. The single track was much tougher than I was expecting and while I felt like I was struggling just to move forward, I was slowing passing riders. On the no name trail, I caught Dorel Stoia, crashed, and then caught Dorel again. My dad was waiting at Sag 4. He quickly gave me 3 cold bottles and told me I was in 8^th. I pushed hard on the Still House Hollow Climb to get away from Dorel and passed a few riders (after looking at Strava, one of those was Jason Suppan). The single and double tracks on the top of Sand Mountain were rougher than I was expecting, but luckily, I found a few 100 milers to work with as we hit double track. My rear tire had enough and got a slow leak at the rim. On the descent to sag 5, I had to stop, use a CO2, and turn my bike on its side to get the Silca Sealant to the right spot. The sealant did its job and I was back on my way. My legs were done on the final climb up Old Mingle Rd. I was just trying to not walk. Somehow the climb finally ended. The descent on the other side would normally have been really fun, but I was too tired to enjoy it. This led to the fisherman’s hike-a-bike. I had no idea how long this section would be, so I just kept moving. Craig Hoddy caught me just as I was getting back on my bike. I was relieved when he said he was in the open division so we could work together and get to the finish. 75 miles, 8^th overall 2^nd in 50+. Bike: Trek Supercalibler, Sram, Bontrager, and Silca. Next NUE race is Stokesville”

The third step went to, Dorel Stoia (Spin Bike Shop), with a time of 6:38:02.

Fourth place went to Roger Masse (Stokesville/SMT) with a time of 6:43:47. Fifth place was Jason Suppan (Ride on Wooster) coming in at 6:50:28.

For 101 mile results: CLICK HERE

For Marathon results: CLICK HERE

NUE Mohican 100 Mile & 100K

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Jen Toops

Written by @JenToops

The 21st annual National Ultra Endurance Series Mohican 100k/100m was held on May 21, 2022. Hundreds of racers from around the country gathered in Loudonville, Ohio to tackle this tough course. The return of the mass downtown start added extra mileage and required a few course changes for 2022. With feedback from the 2021 course, race director Ryan O’dell removed the Mohaven singletrack from the 100k race and reduced the Glenmont loop for the 100m racers.

Sunny skies, high humidity, and temps in the upper 80’s made for a difficulty day on the bike. Many racers battled with muscle cramping and heat exhaustion. Aid stations had ice packs and water hoses out cooling riders off. Later in the afternoon, the skies opened up and it poured rain that continuing on and off for the remainder of the race.

One of seven fully stocked aid stations. Photo credit: Butch Phillips

From the downtown start racers are immediately greeted with the first of many punchy climbs. Racers jockey for position on the next 5 miles of road before entering the Mohican State Park singletrack loop. They continue toward the Wilderness singletrack and the all famous rock garden. Locals and media enjoy heckling racers as they try to maneuver this technical mossy rock garden. After the Wilderness aid station, the 100k racers split and head back on more gravel roads toward the finish. The 100 milers continued to complete Mohaven and Glenmont singletrack loops before continuing on to the finish.

Jeff Rupnow & Heidi Coulter heckling riders as they navigate the wilderness rock garden. Photo: Butch Phillips

Being in Ohio, most assume this course is relatively flat. What the race lacks in elevation it makes up for in dozens of steep, punchy climbs strewn throughout the entire distance. 100k racers eventually climb over 8,000 feet and 100m racers climb over 11,000 feet. According to O’dell “Out of a total 453 Registered Racers, 64% of racers completed the 100 mile, 58% completed the 100k, a significant improvement over 2021.”

https://youtu.be/yglBMMZDJ8I

What makes this race special is the amazing group of volunteers that help out with the race. Ryan O’dell stated, “Along with many other local volunteers, New Hope Church, led by Pastor Rob and Bethany Paterson, showed up in force to help out at aid stations and 20 course marshal positions, as well as provide transportation and medical attention. In all, more than 150 local area volunteers working two-hour shifts were here to support the racers.”

Both the 100k and 100 mile races finish at Mohican Adventures campground. Racers are rewarded with a pint glass (100k) or growler (100mile) to fill up with their Great Lakes Brewing beverage of choice and enjoy the post race atmosphere.

NUE Mohican 100 MILE

Women’s Open– Mason gets the 100 mile win

Women’s 100 Mile podium: 1st Britt Mason, 2nd Jen Toops, 3rd Julie Medema, 4th Leila Husain, 5th Hanna Pauline Derby. Photo: Butch Phillips

The 2021 Wilderness 101 women’s winner, Britt Mason (Knobby Side Down) from Ellicott City, MD, won the women’s 100 mile race with a time of 9:14:04.

” The race started hot right out of the gate with climbing as soon as we reached the outskirts of town. I may have gone out a bit hard, as I made some early mistakes with crashes and missed turns in the unfamiliar trails. After the first couple of hours, I settled in to my groove and did my best to manage the heat throughout the day. I never fully cramped but had to govern my heart rate progressively lower to keep the grabby muscles at bay. I consider myself a punchy climber, but the steep hits just kept coming all day! I’ve never walked my bike so much in an NUE, either by choice to prevent cramping or because the trail was too soft, slow, and steep to ride. The strategy worked, as I ran from the front from the start and held off the chasers. Next up for me in the NUE series is Wilderness101.”

The 2021 women’s NUE epic champion and 2021 Mohican 100 mile winner, Jen Toops (Pearl izumi/Pivot), Marion, OH finished second with a time of 9:36:08.

“Mohican 100 is always a favorite of mine since it’s home turf and family/friends come to watch. After racing the new course in 2021 I knew it was going to be a hard day in the saddle, especially with the heat/humidity, and all the strong ladies signed up. This year the course started from downtown Loudonville instead of Mohican Adventures campground. This meant it was going to be a red lined start or risk being stuck in a congo line in the state park loop. Britt and Julie passed me on the 5 mile road start. I let them go and settled in my own pace as I was already feeling overheated. At the end of the state park loop I caught Julie and we came into aid 2 at the same time. It was so incredibly humid and hot. The Wilderness singletrack went smooth and I was sure I could make some time up, since I knew the lines. Wrong….the massive cramps started when I tried to clean a steep climb. Both of my quads seized up and couldn’t move them! I literally laid on the ground screaming and finally had to just get up and start moving. I prolly lost 3-4 min here. I immediately took a CarboRocket RocketLyte and slammed a few Honey Stinger gels and the cramps held off the rest of the race. There were times throughout the day where my body felt cold, extremities tingly and I felt dizzy and lightheaded. I continued to just keep a steady pace and stopped at every aid station to put ice/or water down my back. I kept looking back on the last road section sure Julie would catch me but managed to stay a few minutes a head. About 15 min from the finish the skies opened up and it poured. I was happy to have crossed the line and finished with how bad I felt through out the day. This felt like a day surviving on the bike instead of racing. Thank you to all the aid station workers that helped all day, especially aid 2 with the panty hose ice pack and aid 4 with the water hose! Thanks to all family and friends for the cheers and heckling :) Sponsors: Pivot Cycles, Pearl izumi, SCC chain lube, Lazer Helmets, Ergon, Xpedo, Honey Stinger, CarboRocket, Maxxis.”

Only a couple minutes back from second, Julie Medema (Founders Brewing) from Grand Rapids, MI, finished third with a time of 9:39:54.

“Mass start with the 100k & 100 milers combined made for a hot start to the day. I was in 2nd until mile about 25 then Jen passed me and I was already not feeling great so just settled in for a long, hot day. First 50 miles were TOUGH and SLOW with lots of technical singletrack and some major mud out there. Legs finally felt good at mile 75 🤪Solo mission to try to catch Jen but ended up 3 min behind in a thunderstorm! It was an epic day; equally tough mentally as physically with hot humid temps and endless steep long climbs. Thanks to Founders Racing for the support!”

Taking fourth place was Leila Husain (Sycamore Cycles) out of Brevard, NC with a finish time of 10:40:11. Hanna Pauline Derby from Marquette, MI finished fifth with a time of 11:27:50.

Men’s Open– Collins takes first Mohican win

Men’s 100 Mile podium: 1st Patrick Collins, 2nd Jake Inger, 3rd Brian Schworm, 4th Jimmy Close, 5th Brent Goetz. Photo: Butch Phillips

Taking the win in the men’s open 100 mile, Patrick Collins of Worcester, MA, finishing with a time of 7:36:11.

Patrick Collins. Photo credit: Butch Phillips

“Thanks to Ryan O’Dell and his crew for putting on a great event! This was my first Mohican 100. Once we hit the dirt, a lead group of 5-6 of us set a very hard pace for the first handful of hours. Guys were turning the screws, heat rising, testing each other’s limits, some digging deeper than was sustainable, so guys began to fade. I was climbing better than others. I got a gap on the first climb in the Wilderness, feeling good on the only familiar trails on course, as I did a XC race there last year. Brian Schworm bridged up on the climb after the aid station and we worked well together for a while. I was very glad to have a partner on the road sections. We saw glimpses of Jake “The Diesel” Inger I got a gap on him the super muddy steep climb in the private trails about 5.5 hours in. I think this section was a hike-a-bike for most, but I dug extremely deep and stayed on my bike to power up it. Once alone and no one in sight behind me, I rode a hard tempo, slowly easing the pace as I neared the finish until Jake showed up right behind me with less than a kilometer to go entering Mohican Adventures. It legit scared me! All this work to lose it at the very end, no way! I drilled it as hard as I could and finished ~25 secs ahead. Mind blown… biggest result ever! Huge thanks must go out to my sponsor Assabet River Bicycles, the best bike shop in central Massachusetts, owned by Jerry De Zutter. The legendary Tom Stevens is the head mechanic and he has made sure my bike was ready to rock and roll. Also huge thanks to my parents who have always supported me, especially in the tough times. On the drive back home to MA, I collided with a deer on I-80 in the middle of nowhere PA. I was fine, but my van was toast, so my dad drove through the night to the rescue and brought me home. My next planned NUE races are Wilderness and Shenandoah. I would like to do Marji Gesick as well, but I missed reg. Perhaps if I am in contention for the series win, they’ll let me in? :)”

Jake Inger. Photo credit: Butch Phillips

Less than a minute back, Jake Inger of Yarmouth, ME finished second with a time of 7:36:36.

No stranger to the Mohican 100, Brian Schworm from Morehead, KY took third with a time of 7:37:30.

“The race went very well but I was worried about the heat and concerned about racing so soon after a minor surgery to remove a small skin cancer spot on my forehead (wear your sunscreen!). I was feeling great and riding with the eventual winner Patrick Collins with Jake Inger not far back until the trail section beyond Glenmont at about mile 75. I started cramping and faded a bit. Jake caught up and I was worried there were more behind him. I had to give 100% just to hang with Jake as he was so strong. He pulled me to the finish and took off with a couple miles to go (and almost caught Pat as well) so I was able to hold my third place. I’m very happy with this result especially considering the surgery, heat, and my age 😀. After the race it was great to hang out, catch up with racing buddies, and swap stories of the day. The race turned out very well and, despite the heat and humidity, it was a great day. Already looking forward to next year! Thanks to my bike sponsors Think Green-Bicycle Face Cycling Team for helping to make these races possible along with ESI Grips, Maxxis Tires, absoluteBLACK, and TruckerCo, but the biggest thanks goes to my wife Jennifer Schworm for all the support both during the race and the daily routine required for my training. I couldn’t do it without her!”

Brian Schworm. Photo credit: Butch Phillips

Fourth place went to Jimmy Close of Ellicott City, MD finishing in 7:56:02. Brent Goetz from Canal Winchester, OH took fifth place in 8:09:11.

Singlespeed 100 MILE– Wakeley wins

Singlespeed 100 Mile podium: 1st Jorden Wakeley, 2nd Chaes Caughey, 3rd Joe Fraas, 4th Eli Orth, 5th Thad Paunovich. Photo: Butch Phillips

Finishing 5th overall and riding the last five miles on a flat, Jorden Wakeley of Grayling, MI, won the 100m singlespeed class with a time of 8:05:28.

“Went into the singletrack top ten and got caught behind some slower riders and the lead group got away. I was able to ride with Brian Schworm to the first aid station and he got out quicker than I did. Chased for 15 miles and caught the entire lead group at the second aid station and proceeded to draft off of them on the gravel roads. Dropped 5th and 6th place in the Mohaven section and ended up catching 4th just after Glenmont. We rode together for a while and I got away from him on Valley Stream Road, which put me in fourth overall. Flatted on the last rocky downhill about 5 miles from the finish and tried to repair it with a tube that unfortunately had a hole in it. So, I decided to ride on the rim to the finish and ended up getting caught by the eventual 4th place finisher. 5th overall in the day and 1st singlespeed–I ran a 36-19 gear and I ride for Northbound Outfitters. Tough, hot race as I was cramping at mile 30 and started feeling stronger after the bike path to Glenmont. Loved the course. Next race: Lumberjack 100. “

Leading the 2022 NUE singlespeed series, Chase Caughey of Canton, OH finished with a time of 8:32:32.

“Mohican 100 is one of my favorite races because I grew up riding msp. This year was my first time doing the 100 mile instead of the 100k and first season racing ss. There were a lot of strong single speeders registered and I was excited for the competition. Lining up on the start line I was settling my mind in for second because I knew Jorden’s wheel would be to hard to hold. Got a front row start thanks to my friends Justin Holle and Brian Elander. First half of the race went pretty smooth, riding my pace in second place and happy with the 34×20 choice. About 70 miles in third place rider Joe Fraas passed me on a long flat section holding the wheel of a geared rider out spinning me. I caught back onto him not long after being dropped. We rode together for a while until a good climb where I rode away from him. Finished in second about half an hour behind Jorden Wakeley and only four minutes faster than Joe. Great race! Thanks Evolution Training Cycles for everything”

Just a few minutes back, Joe Fraas from Pittsburgh, PA took third place with at time of 8:36:23.

“I was pretty nervous leading into the race because of the number of good single speeders on the start list and then the heat and torrential rain the day before didn’t help calm the nerves. Making the turn into town is always so cool seeing 500+ racers lined up and ready to go. The road start is a tough one for single speeders, but luckily my teammate, and eventual 100K winner, Anthony Grinnell was on the front. I knew he wanted to pace smart because of the heat, so I was able to stay with the large front group going into the woods. Even with so many riders, I somehow rode most of the 22 miles of singletrack by myself, which was pretty nice because I picked a pace I was comfortable with and focused on staying on top of my hydration and nutrition. I carried three bottles with me, two filled with Flow Formulas Lemon Lime (I used 6 bottles for the day) and one filled with water. Since I was riding the single track by myself, I really had no idea how I was doing until aid station 2 and saw I was only about 10 minutes from the overall leader. Seeing this gave me a huge burst of confidence and some extra freshness in my legs and I really started to pick-up the pace. I continued to ride mainly by myself until the long rails to trails section. This is such a killer section for a single speeder and you just have in your head that if your single speed competitors are working with someone in this section you are going to lose so much time. I just got as aero as I could and was spinning at a comfortable pace, when out of nowhere a geared guy flew past me. I knew this could make a huge difference in my overall time, so I did an all-out 30ish second sprint to get on this guy’s wheel. I looked down at my Garmin and was doing over 500 watts to get his wheel. I got in his draft in the nick of time, because I wasn’t going to be able to hold that effort any longer. I do not know his name, but he had a pink bike and pink kit and he pulled me for three quarters of the rails to trail, which allowed me to get ahead of eventual 2^nd place Chase C. momentarily. If he reads this, thank you again for the pull. Chase eventually caught me on the climb after aid station 4 and he and I talked and rode together for a while. During this time, I found out Eli Orth wasn’t in front of us like I thought and Chase and I were sitting 2/3 behind Jordan. Chase dropped me on the one climb and I rode as hard as I could the last 10 miles or so just hoping to hold onto 3^rd place. It was such a great feeling coming across the line seeing my son, wife, parents, and a couple friends at the line cheering for me. We always have a group that camps at Mohican Adventures for the weekend, which just makes the whole race experience that much nicer. I was running 34*20 wolf tooth ring and cog. Thanks to sponsors Flow Formulas, Pro Bike and Run, McQueen Athletes, Jim Shorkey Auto Group, ESI Grips, and Extreme Nano Lubricants.”

Ohio’s own Eli Orth from Cincinnati took fourth place with a time of 9:07:41. Finishing fifth place was Thad Paunovich from Avonmore, PA finishing in 9:31:27.

Master’s 100 Mile–Magnuson wins

Master’s 100 Mile podium: 1st Eric Magnuson, 2nd Keith Papanicolas, 3rd Amir Matityahu, 4th Bruce Stauffer, 5th Christian Butts. Photo: Butch Phillips

Taking the win in the 100 miles masters division was, Eric Magnuson of Manchester, MA with a time of 8:47:52.

“After blasting out of town, the Mochian 100 splintered on the first climb. The race then unfolded across an array of singletrack, gravel, and roads. During the first four hours, I raced in different groups. Alliances formed. Alliances fractured. At about the midway point, I was on my own—and that’s how things stayed until the finish. Others were in front of me, but I couldn’t see them; others were behind me, but I couldn’t seem them either. I pedaled in isolation, experiencing Ohio’s punchy hills, muddy trails, and escalating heat. I spent most of the day dreaming of dousing myself with something cold. At an aid station, I found a hose. There was joy at the end of it: clear, cold, fast-flowing water. Deep into a race, the mundane can become extraordinary. The Mohican is a stellar event put on by a stellar crew. The volunteers deserve a standing ovation. Signage was superb. Aid stations were excellent.Huge thanks to my family, my riding buddies, Skip’s C.S., Shayne Gaffney, and Riverside Cycle. Next on my calendar: High Cascades 100.”

Just a couple minutes back, Keith Papanicolas from Fairfax Station, VA, finished second with a time of 8:49:2.

Third place went to, Amir Matityahu from Los Altos, CA crossing the line in 8:58:27.

Taking fourth place wes Bruce Stauffer from Rockwell, NC with a time of 9:41:18. Christian Butts out of Plainville, MA took the last podium spot with a time of 9:45:01.

NUE Mohican 100K

Women’s Open 100K– Catale gets back-to-back Mohican wins

Women’s 100K Podium: 1st Kelly Catele, 2nd Bryna Blanchard, 3rd Abigail Snyder, 4th Heather Compton, 5th Jen Tillman. Photo: Butch Phillips

Taking back-to-back wins at the Mohican 100k was, Kelly Catale from Pepperell, MA with a finish time of 5:53:17.

“This was my second year racing the Mohican 100k and I have determined that it will always be a brutal experience. The crazy climbing, muddy doubletrack, and fun singletrack make the course challenging, but it’s the weather that delivers the true pain. Just like in the 2021 edition, the mid-Ohio humidity made the air feel like peanut butter right from the start of the race, which meant I was destined to suffer for the next six hours (this was my first real “humid” day of riding all year). The mass start from downtown Loudonville was a bit hairy, with several guys angling for front positions before diving into the first trail. The only other female in the front pack, Britt Mason, and I exchanged some conversation and marveled at how we had never crossed paths before this race. My goal was to finish the race in under six hours; my race strategy was to go out hard and see how long I could sustain the effort before blowing up. It turns out that 16 miles plus humidity is the blowup point. I slowed down considerably after then and focused on keeping my heart rate and body temperature from skyrocketing. Truthfully, I don’t recall the last time I felt as terrible during a race as I did during this day, and by the time I hit the second aid station at mile 34 I had already quit the sport of cycling at least three times. Luckily, the amazing aid station volunteers had ice-filled pantyhose to offer the overheating participants. I draped one around my neck and into the back of my jersey and within about 5 minutes, I felt slightly frostbitten and almost completely renewed mentally and physically. I even decided to un-quit the sport of cycling! Yes, my race was saved by pantyhose. The remainder of the race was a bit of a blur, as I did my best to keep ahead of dehydration. I finally felt strong at the 5-hour mark and was definitely not on pace to break six hours, but I dug deep and pushed myself hard for the last ten miles and finished with goosebumps–likely from being overheated, but maybe also from ending up in first place after suffering so intensely for so long. I want to extend a huge thanks to Seven Cycles, Voler Apparel, Industry Nine, Vittoria Tires, Flow Formulas, Ride Headquarters, and Gold Medal CBD for enabling me to participate in these events. Thank you also to my husband, Joe, for another fun and successful race weekend, to the race promoters for another fantastic event, and to all of the volunteers who helped make the day survivable.”

Placing second in the women’s 100k was, Bryna Blanchard out of East Greenbush, NY, with a time of 6:19:46.

“Mohican 100k felt like a magic race day for me this year. Despite the 7 AM start time, early morning nerves, and lots of training volume leading up to the race I managed to feel strong for the duration. I managed to avoid the 5 hour energy crash that so often forces me to lose my pace and inevitably get caught in the final miles. After a difficult time in survival mode at the Big Frog 65 it felt amazing and motivating to race hard and enjoy the ride from start to finish. The single track was fast and fun with some rocky slip and slide to keep things interesting. The bits of road in between made for a nice change of pace. With the chaos of mass start and miles of strung out racers on pavement I had no concept of my position in the women’s field. All I could do was ride my race, pace my efforts and work hard to not slow down. I was surprised and grateful to cross the line in 2nd behind world class endurance racer Kelly Catale. Thank you promotors, volunteers, and organizers for putting on a top notch professional event. Thank you Barker Mountain Bikes for all the continued support over the years. I am so grateful for these experiences, friends and bikes.”

Travelling in from Roanoke, VA, Abigail Snyder, took third place with a time of 6:36:58.

” I came into the 2022 Mohican 100k with high hopes after a tight battle for 3rd place at the Big Frog 65 and a surprise 4th place last year, when the 2021 edition of the Mohican 100k was my first ever 100k race. From the start, however, it seems as if my hopes would be dashed. I struggled for the first 2/3 of the race: I missed turns, got bungled up in the congo line through the state park singletrack, had some mechanical issues, and just generally was angry with the world. When I came through Aid 3, the word my friend/crew used to describe my frame of mind was “salty.” Because of the mass start, I had no idea where I was as far as position, but felt like I had to be somewhere between 10-15th place. Still, I didn’t give up. My team name and personal motto is “Ride Fierce,” the meaning of which centers around the image of a cheetah: beautiful and dangerous. I knew I would only be happy at the finish line if I gave it my best on course. So I controlled the only thing I could control: pedaling—and didn’t stop fighting for every possible second until I got to the finish. Even as I crossed the line, I expected to be 15th, so I was shocked to hear that I had finished third! The next NUE event that I am planning to be at is the Wilderness 101, where I will again tackle the 100k distance. Many thanks to Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Roanoke Outside, RND Coffee, and Cardinal Bicycle for making it possible for me to race this season!”

Coming in fourth place was, Heather Compton from Grayling, MI with a time of 7:06:47. Jen Tillman from Ellicott City, MD takes the fifth spot in 7:25:51.

Men’s Open 100K– Grinnell takes win

Men’s 100K podium: 1st Anthony Grinnell, 2nd Mason Allen, 3rd Robbie Seal, 4th Casey Abston, 5th Luke Hlavenka. Photo: Butch Phillips

Previous 2021 Mohican singlespeed podium finisher, Anthony Grinnell of Harmony, PA, takes the overall 100k win , finishing in 5:10:14.

“I’ve been racing the Mohican 100 since 2014 and still have memories of years past where humidity and creeping temperatures caused racers to drop like flies. With temps expected to surge into the 80’s and very high humidity, I knew a smart pace in the first half of the race would be critical. Sure enough, right around the 2.5hr mark, I started seeing all the guys that went too hard begin to fade and struggle with cramps. I picked off rider and after rider and worked my way up to first place before Aid 3. I stayed strong to the finish and pulled more than a 15 minute gap over 2^nd, finishing with a time of 5 hours 10 minutes. I was extremely happy with the win and am looking forward to my next NUE race at the Wilderness 101. A huge thanks for everyone who supports our Syndicate Cycling team: Shorkey Auto Group, Pro Bike & Run, Flow Formulas, ESI Grips, Extreme Nano Lubricants, and Wolftooth Components to name a few.”

At only seventeen years old, Mason Allen from Crozet, VA took second with a time of 5:25:16.

“This was my first time racing the Mohican 100k, so I was not certain what the course would yield for me. On the starting road, I had some trouble working my way through the crowd, so I entered into the singletrack farther back than I would have preferred. However, I was able to pass by a couple groups on the singletrack. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I did settle into a group with 100k leader Anthony Grinell. We kept steady for a while, but I eventually broke away on the singletrack, which I knew I was strong on. Once the singletrack ended however, I was gradually caught by Anthony Grinell as well as two of the 100k single speeders. I went back and forth with 2nd place single speeder Dahn Pahrs for about an hour, but eventually had to lower my pace. After being dropped, I simply maintained a manageable pace solo till the finish. I didn’t have any idea I was 2nd for the open men category, until somebody informed me between Aid 5 and the finish. Overall, I’m happy to come away with my first NUE podium at Mohican, especially as a junior. The next NUE event I plan to race is the Carrabassett 100k. Big thanks to the race organizers and the volunteers at the aid stations, without whom the race would not be possible, as well as John Petrylak for helping prepare for this event.”

Third place went to Robbie Seal of Richmond, IN with a time of 5:29:48.

Finishing in fourth place, Casey Abston out of Louisville, KY, with a time of 5:46:27. A couple minutes back, Luke Hlavenka of Barrie, ON, takes fifth place with a time of 5:52:40.

Singlespeed 100K- Holle gets SS win

Singlespeed 100k podium: 1st Justin Holle, 2nd Dahn Pahrs, 3rd Peyton Randolph, 4th Acie Hylton, 5th Ryan Craig. Photo: Butch Phillips

2021 NUE Singlespeed epic series champion, Justin Holle out of Aurora, CO finishes in 5:19:04 and taking 2nd overall in the 100k.

Just a few minutes back, Dahn Pahrs from Pittsburgh, PA took second place with a time of 5:22:18.

Peyton Randolph out of Baltimore, OH took third place with a time of 5:47:11.

In fourth place, Acie Hylton coming from Beckley, WV, finishes with a time of 5:53:58. Taking the fifth podium position was, Ryan Craig out of Pittsburg, PA with a time of 6:00:03.

Masters 100K– Suppan on Top Step

Master’s 100K podium: 1st Jason Suppan, 2nd Paul Arlinghaus, 3rd Sean Nicholson-Crotty, 4th Dorel Stoia, 5th Brad Rogers. Photo: Butch Phillips

Winning the master’s 100k division, Jason Suppan from Orrville, OH finished with a time of 5:31:29.

“Grey hair and saggy elbow skin. It’s what I look for when I get passed. Racing the 50 plus category, it’s impossible to know who you’re racing against at times and these guys are fit and fast. My power isn’t there anymore but the bike driving skills are still pretty good, so the goal is always to get to the single track in the front group. I was where I wanted to be until I lost some spokes to a large, tumbling rock a few miles into the single track. Thankfully the wheel held up for the remainder of the race but I was on my own with a wobbly bike. I was glad for the 52 tooth cassette through the Wilderness and onward, but was wondering when SRAM would come out with a 60. Ohio is a tough place to ride. Relentless up and down with almost zero flat cruising and never enough downhill to fully recover. I’ve been trying for years to get a Peace Pipe trophy at the Mohican 100 and finally managed to shake the champagne this year. The course was the best ever and so was my bike. I ride a Giant Anthem full suspension without a dropper and 34×10/52 gearing. Put this race on your schedule! Gorgeous scenery, incredible singletrack, and a very well put together race. Thank you to the volunteers, supporters and sponsors, and Ryan O’dell for putting this together. We are so lucky to have this State park and its single track caretakers, The Mohican Malabar Bike Club. Thank you to Ride On of Wooster for their support and help in getting me on a very capable bike.”

Paul Arlinghaus of Fishers, IN, finished 2nd with a time of 5:46:04.

“My race plan was to get over the Tanny Hill in the lead group, and then ride the Mohican single track somewhat conservatively. I was the last rider in the lead group over the Tanny Hill and the Mohican single track section went well. A big part of my race success was due to the support I got from Heather Arlinghaus at Sags 1, 3 and 5. She made sure I quickly had 2 full bottles leaving each Sag. While it was hard to tell my place in the 50+ 100k mid race, it looks like I was in 3^rd (8 minutes behind Sean Nicholson-Crotty) heading into the Mohican Wilderness. I suspect that Sean was riding the Wilderness for the 1^st time and I had been saving my legs for this part of the race. I cleaned all of the Wilderness with just a couple dabs and made up 6 minutes on Sean. From Sag 3 to 5 it was pretty lonely, but I started to catch sight of Sean up ahead and was slowly reeling him in. I caught Sean just out of Sag 5. I was hoping that he was in the open category so we could just work together on the last 10 miles. But he was 50+, so we still had some racing to do. Sean stood up and pulled away from me on the Valley Stream Rd climb. I knew we had one more big climb coming, so I rode my pace up Valley Stream Rd, and pulled back much of the gap on the descent. On the last climb I caught Sean just before the top and was able to open a small gap on the descent. I spent a lot of time looking over my shoulder but was able to hold a 30 second advantage to the line. I was 4^th at Big Frog and plan to race both Wilderness and Shenandoah. Bike: Trek Supercaliber, Rock Shox, Sram XX1, Slica Chain Lube and Tire Sealant.”

Sean Nicholson-Crotty from Bloomington, IN finished third place with a time of 5:46:37.

““Thanks to the organizers for a great race. The course was fun and the support was fantastic. This was the first of these I have done, but I will definitely be back next year. Hopefully, I’ll remember not to ride the first 20 miles like an XC race so the last 20 won’t hurt so badly. Thanks also to my sponsors, Direct Results Training and Revolution Bike and Bean in Bloomington, IN.”

Taking fourth place was, Dorel Stoia from Medina, OH, finishing in 5:56:50. Fifth place went to, Brad Rogers from OH with a time of 6:18:40.

For full results CLICK HERE

Butch Phillips Photo Gallery: CLICK HERE

Pisgah Stage Race- Stage 5 and Overall Results

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Jen Toops

Written by: Jen & Anthony Toops

Photos: Icon Media Asheville

Saturday, April 16th, 2022

The final stage of the 2022 Pisgah Stage Race is Industry Nine’s The Land of Waterfalls Route, named for the 250+ waterfalls in Transylvania County. The scenic route is 27 miles with 2301 feet in elevation gain that hits Butter Gap and Davidson River trails. Racers had a cold & wet morning to start but by the end of the stage the sun was shining bright. The final descent heads down the enduro, Bracken Mountain, and racers finish at Brevard Music center for awards and dinner.

Chris Tries (Men’s Masters) congratulated by Race Director Todd Branham of Blue Ridge Adventures

Stage 5 Results

Women’s Open:

Kaysee Armstrong had a strong lead heading into the final stage. It was a battle for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th overall positions between Kait Boyle, Jocelyn Stel, and Taylor Kuyk-White who were only separated by a few minutes. It was unsure if Jocelyn Stel would be racing the final stage as she broke her frame on the Pilot rock descent on stage 4, but she was able to rent a bike for the day.

Kaysee Armstrong is all smiles after 5 stage wins!

Kaysee Armstrong took the stage 5 win, crowning her the overall cross county women’s winner. Kait Boyle finished strong and took 2nd, moving into 2nd overall. Taylor Kuyk-White was able to take Jocelyn on the final stage and finished 3rd moving her into the 3rd overall position.

Stage 5 women’s open podium: 1st Kaysee Armstrong, 2nd Kait Boyle, 3rd Taylor Kuyk-White

1st-Kaysee Armstrong 2:08:40

2nd-Kait Boyle 2:20:29

3rd-Taylor Kuyk-White 2:27:46

Men’s Open:

Kerry Werner had a comfortable lead heading into the final stage and was able to finish just a minute behind Carson Beckett and take the overall win. Carson Beckett was able to win stage 5 and finished 2nd overall. Cypress Gorry had another impressive finish taking 3rd on stage 5 and holding onto 3rd overall.

1st-Carson Beckett 1:55:09

2nd-Kerry Werner 1:56:18

3rd-Cypress Gorry 1:57:22

Bracken Mountain Stage 5 Enduro

The final enduro was held on Bracken Mountain with a 1733 foot descent and 4.75 miles long. This was a fast flowing enduro with switchbacks and long pedal sections finishing at the Brevard Music Center.

Women’s Enduro:

1st-Kaysee Armstrong 24:16

2nd-Kait Boyle 26:30

3rd-Jen Toops 27:09

Jen Toops- racing co-ed duo with husband Anthony Toops snags a 3rd place enduro podium on the last stage.

Men’s Enduro:

1st-Carson Beckett 21:15

2nd-Cypress Gorry 21:46

3rd-Kerry Werner 22:20

Watch the video recap!

Overall Pisgah Stage Race results

Women’s open:

1st-Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) Knoxville, TN 13:02:40

2nd-Kait Boyle (Industry Nine- Pivot Pro Backcountry Team) Victor, ID 13:52:43

3rd-Taylor Kuyk-White (Philly Bike Expo P/B Industry Nine) Philadelphia, PA 13:59:14

4th-Jocelyn Stel (Cyclepath Oakville) Burlington, Ontario 14:08:11

5th-Nina Machnowski (Brevard College/Pivot Cycles/Pearl Izumi) Brevard, NC 15:42:53

Overall Pisgah Stage Race results

Men’s open:

1st-Kerry Werner (Kona Adventure Team) Vinton, VA 10:39:44

2nd-Carson Beckett (Brevard College/Dirt Camp Devo) Brevard, NC 10:52:18

3rd-Cypress Gorry (Ride Kanuga/Specialized) Pisgah Forest, NC 11:21:02

4th-Nick Bragg (The Black Bibs/Starlight) Asheville, NC 11:26:55

5th-Kurt Refsnider (Industry Nine-Pivot Pro Backcountry Team) Prescott, AZ 11:43:43

Overall Women’s Enduro results:

1st-Kait Boyle (Industry Nine-Pivot Pro Backcountry Team) Victor, ID 1:08:51

2nd-Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) Knoxville, TN 1:09:12

3rd-Taylor Kuyk-White (Philly Bike Expo P/B Industry Nine) Philadelphia, PA 1:13:48

4th-Annie Schwartz (Team Noah Foundation) Saint Louis, MO 1:15:01

5th-Jen Toops (Pearl izumi/Pivot Cycles MTB Race Team) Marion, OH 1:17:08

Overall women’s enduro podium: 1st Kait Boyle, 2nd Kaysee Armstrong 3rd Taylor Kuyk-White

Overall Men’s Enduro results:

1st-Cypress Gorry (Ride Kanuga/Specialized) Pisgah Forest, NC 54:37

2nd-Kerry Werner (Kona Adventure Team) Vinton, VA 57:31

3rd-Carson Beckett (Brevard College/Dirt Camp Devo) Brevard, NC 58:55

4th-Ian Blythe (Flow Formulas TranPerfect) Broomfield, CO 1:00:29

5th-Nick Mackie, West Palm, FL 1:01:41

Overall men’s enduro podium: 1st Cypress Gorry, 2nd Kerry Werner 3rd Carson Beckett

CLICK HERE for overall stage results

Thank you to Blue Ridge Adventures team for putting on a great event!

Pisgah Stage Race- Stage 4- The Queen Stage

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Jen Toops

Written by Jen & Anthony Toops

Friday, April 15th, 2022

The Fox Factory’s Carl Schenck Route aka “The Queen Stage” was 31.5 miles long with 4113 feet of elevation gain. It included the most technical singletrack of all the stages plus a steep hike-a-bike. A cold 40 degree start gave way to sunny skies and temps in the 60’s.

Racers started at the The Cradle of Forestry-Birthplace of Forest Conservation in America inside Pisgah National forest. This stage is named after Dr. Carl Schenck who was brought to the area in 1895 by the Vanderbilt family to manage the forest. The race started on gravel and hit trails: Funnel Top, Squirrel Gap, Laurel Creek, FS5016, Laurel Mountain and Pilot Rock.

Watch the video recap!

Women’s Open:

1st Kaysee Armstrong 3:15:31

2nd Kait Boyle 3:20:41

3rd Taylor Kuyk-White 3:23:33

Kaysee remains in the overall lead heading into stage 5. Taylor Kuyk-White in 2nd and Kait Boyle in 3rd. The women’s open class will be interesting to watch on stage five with Kait, Taylor and Jocelyn all about a minute and a half apart! Jocelyn unfortunately broke her frame heading down pilot rock so she will need to find a bike to ride for tomorrows stage.

Women’s open podium: 1st Kaysee Armstrong, 2nd Kait Boyle, 3rd Taylor Kuyk-White

Men’s Open:

1st Carson Beckett 2:38:10

2nd Kerry Werner 2:38:11

3rd Ian Blythe 2:46:19

Kerry Werner continues to lead the overall men heading into stage 5. Carson Beckett in 2nd and Cypress Gorry in 3rd.

Men’s open podium: 1st Carson Beckett, 2nd Kerry Werner, 3rd Ian Blythe

Stage 4 Enduro- Pilot Rock

The Queen stage enduro was on the infamous Pilot Rock trail. The enduro was 2.25 miles long with a 1478 foot descent, plenty of rocks, tight technical switchbacks, roots, a creek crossing, hecklers, and a steep uphill pedal section at the end. A beast of a downhill to say the least.

Women’s Enduro:

1st Kait Boyle 12:24

2nd Annie Schwartz 13:30

3rd Kaysee Armstrong 13:31

In the overall women’s enduro, Kait Boyle remains in the lead going into the final stage. Kaysee Armstrong in 2nd and Taylor Kuyk-White in 3rd.

Men’s Enduro:

1st Cypress Gorry 9:40

2nd Ian Blythe 10:45

3rd Nick Mackie 10:59

In the mens enduro, Cypress Gorry absolutely crushed the enduro segment and won by almost a minute. He leads the overall enduro heading into the final stage. Kerry Werner crashed heading down Pilot but remains in 2nd overall and Ian Blythe in 3rd.

Men’s enduro podium: 1st Cypress Gorry, 2nd Ian Blythe, 3rd Nick Mackie

CLICK HERE for full results from each stage

Pisgah Stage Race- Stage 3

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Jen Toops

Thursday, April 14th, 2022

Sycamore Cycles’ White Squirrel Route

Stage 3 is sponsored by Sycamore Cycles and is aptly named the White squirrel Route since Brevard is well known for white squirrels. The area was populated with white squirrels after a circus train carrying them tipped over quite a few years back. This stage offers 29.5 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. The forecasted rain held off and racers were welcomed with sunny skies later in the stage.

The race starts at the bottom of Black Mountain. Racers immediately funnel into double track up Grassy Rd and over to a rooty fast decent down Sycamore Cove. From there, they loop back around to Thrift cove and climb Black Mountain. Racers then climb up Clawhammer road and descend down Avery Creek which is a fun technical downhill. After some more gravel climbing racers head down Bennett Gap which is the Enduro for stage 3. One more gravel climb and racers headed down Black Mountain to the finish line.

Women’s Open

1st- Kaysee Armstrong 3:24

2nd- Taylor Kuyk-Whit 3:37

3rd- Jocelyn Stel 3:43

Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) continues to add to her overall lead after her third stage win in a row with a cumulative time of 7 hours 38 minutes. Taylor Kuyk-Whit moves into 2nd overall with a cumulative time of 8 hours 7 minutes, Jocelyn Stel just a minute and a half back in 3rd. Kait Boyle moved into fourth overall but still in podium contention with a time of 8 hours 11 minutes.

1st Kaysee Armstrong, 2nd Taylor Kuyk-Whit, 3rd Jocelyn Stel

Men’s Open

1st- Carson Beckett 2:37:07.275

2nd-Kerry Werner 2:37:07.708

3rd- Nick Bragg 2:54:12

Kerry Werner holds onto the overall lead with a cumulative time of 6 hours 5 minutes. Carson Beckett in 2nd overall with a time of 6 hours 18 minutes and Cypress Gorry in third overall with a time of 6 hours 33 minutes. Nick Bragg is sitting in 4th overall just 5 minutes back.

Men’s open podium: 1st Carson Beckett, 2nd Kerry Werner, 3rd Nick Bragg

2019-PisgahStageRace-OnlineEnduro-Stage3

Stage 3 enduro was a 2.5 mile 1230 ft descent down Bennett Gap. This enduro had something for everyone with a hike-a-bike, pedal sections, rock drops, massive roots and plenty of Pisgah gnar.

Women’s Enduro:

1st- Kait Boyle 14:26

2nd- Kaysee Armstrong 15:14

3rd- Taylor Kuyk-Whit 15:17

Kait Boyle continues to lead the overall women’s enduro with a cumulative time of 29 minutes 55 seconds. Kaysee Armstrong in second with a time of 31 minutes 24 seconds. Taylor Kuyk-White is hot on Kaysee’s heels with a time of 31 minutes 35 seconds.

Women’s Enduro Podium: 1st Kait Boyle, 2nd Kaysee Armstrong, 3rd Taylor Kuyk-White

Men’s Enduro:

1st- Cypress Gorry 9:47

2nd- Kerry Werner 10:40

3rd- Carson Beckett 10:43

Cypress Gorry continues to lead the overall men’s enduro with a cumulative time of 23 minutes 9 seconds. Kerry Werner in 2nd with a time of 23 minutes 59 seconds. Ian Blythe holds down 3rd place with a time of 26 minutes 11 seconds. A very close race in the men’s overall enduro with Carson Beckett, Nick Bragg, and Nick Mackie just seconds from a podium position. How will tomorrow play out after the famous Pilot Rock enduro descent?

Men’s Enduro podium: 1st Cypress Gorry, 2nd Kerry Werner, 3rd Carson Beckett

Watch the video recap!

CLICK HERE for full results from each stage

Written by Jen & Anthony Toops

Photos by Icon Media Ashville

Pisgah Stage Race- Stage 2

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Jen Toops

Wednesday, April 13th, 2022

Athletic Brewing CO’s Promise Land Route

Stage 2: Todays stage started with a police escort out of the Black Mountain trail head on 6.2 miles of pavement leading racers to the Turkey Pen area where the race started full gas. From here stage 2 showcased that true “Pisgah” style with technical roots and rocks. This stage had the highest amount of single track and included popular trails such as Mullinex, Squirrel Gap and Buckhorn Gap. Racers endured a long hike-a-bike up to Buckhorn Gap but were rewarded with the full Black Mountain decent all the way to the finish line.

Women’s Open:

1st- Kaysee Armstrong 2 hours 53 minutes

2nd-Kait Boyle 2 hours 59 minutes

3rd- Jocelyn Stel 3 hours 2 minutes.

Kaysee leads the overall women after stage 2 with Kait Boyle moving into 2nd and Jocelyn Stel 3rd.

Women’s Stage 2 Open Podium: 1st Kaysee Armstrong, 2nd Kait Boyle, 3rd Jocelyn Stel

Men’s Open:

1st- Carson Beckett 2 hours 18 mintues

2nd- Kerry Werner 2 hours 19 minutes

3rd- Tyler Clark 2 hours 20 minutes.

In the men’s open Kerry Werner takes the overall lead, followed by Tyler Clark 2nd and Cypress Gorry in third.

Men’s Stage 2 Open Podium: 1st Carson Beckett, 2nd Kerry Werner, 3rd Tyler Clark

Stage 2 Enduro was the Black Mountain descent. Black Mountain is one of the most popular trails in Pisgah with a mix of flow and technical riding losing 1320 feet over 2 miles.

Women’s Open:

1st- Kait Boyle 9 minutes 12 seconds

2nd- Hannah Arensman 9 minutes thirty-five seconds

3rd- Kaysee Armstrong 9 minutes thirty-six seconds

Kait Boyle took the lead for the overall enduro going into stage 3. Hannah Arensman in second and Kaysee Armstrong in third.

Women’s Enduro: 1st Kait Boyle 9:12, 2nd Hannah Arensman, 3rd Kaysee Armstrong

Men’s Open:

1st- Tyler Clark 7 minutes thirty-seven seconds

2nd- Kerry Werner 7 minutes forty-three seconds

3rd- Cypress Gorry 7 minutes forty-six seconds.

Heading into stage 3, Tyler Clark is leading the overall enduro, Kerry Werner in second and Cypress Gorry in third.

Men’s Enduro: 1st Tyler Clark, 2nd Kerry Werner, 3rd Cypress Gorry

Written by: Jen & Anthony Toops

Photos by: Icon Media Ashville

CLICK HERE for full results from each stage

Pisgah Stage Race- Stage 1

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Jen Toops

Blue Ridge Adventures

Tuesday, April 12th, 2022

Squirts Looking Glass Route

For 2022, a new opening stage was unveiled, making it logistically easier on everyone. This allowed racers to start and finish in the same location for 3 days in a row. The new opening stage had a 5 mile warm up ride from the on the Brevard pathway. After arriving at the Railroad Depot park, the 15.5 mile adventure begins with a heart pumping climb up Bracken Mountain, a mix of machine built trails, showcasing the newest trail Stoney Knob, and a high speed Enduro down Joel Branch.

15.5 miles / 25 km
2,200 ft / 670 m elevation gain
Named for Looking Glass Rock – a nearly 4,000′ tall piece of exposed whiteside granite

Women’s open:

Coming off racing the Cape Epic and the Lifetime Grand Prix, Kaysee Armstrong (Liv), from Knoxville, TN, took the win with a time of 1:20:30. Taking second with a time of 1:23:14 was, Jocelyn Stel (Liv), making the trek down from Canada to race. Rounding out the women’s open podium was, Taylor Kuyk-White (Philly Bike Expo, Industry Nine) with a time of 1:24:55

Men’s Open:

A very close race in the men’s open division. Local Cypress Gorry (Ride Kanuga Specialized), took the win on stage 1 finishing with a time of 1:08:09. Hot on his heels was another local, Tyler Clark (Brevard College), taking second with a time of 1:08:11.0. PSR veteran, Kerry Werner (Kona) from VA, rounded out the podium with a time of 1:08:11.04. This will be an exciting division to watch over the next few stages!

Enduro: Within each stage of the Pisgah Stage Race there’s a timed Enduro segment. Racers are competing not only for bragging rights but also a cash purse given out to the overall top female and male riders at the end of the 5 stages.

Todays enduro was an all-out attack down the Joel Branch gravel forest road. Riders had to manage maintaining speed throughout the segment, with a lack of traction in the corners. The gravel definitly presented a new challenge for an enduro win.

Women’s Enduro:

1st: Hannah Arensman 6:16.4, 2nd: Kait Boyle 6:16.6, 3rd: Jocelyn Stel 6:22.3

Men’s Enduro:

1st: Cypress Gorry 5:35.5, 2nd: Kerry Werner 5:35.5, 3rd: Tyler Clark 5:36

CLICK HERE for full results from Stage 1

Written by: Jen & Anthony Toops

2022 Pisgah Stage Race Preview

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Jen Toops

Written by: Jen & Anthony Toops

After getting postponed for several years due to the pandemic, the Pisgah Stage Race is officially ON for 2022. Presented by Blue Ridge Adventures, the Pisgah Stage Race takes place April 11th-16th, 2022 in Brevard, North Carolina. The PSR is officially sold out for 2022, but mark your calendars for mid May when registration opens for 2023.

This 5-stage race takes riders on a tour of Pisgah, through the temperate rain forest sampling some of the best singletrack Pisgah has to offer. The race traverses over 140 miles and climbs 20000+ feet with scenic views, waterfalls, creek crossings and is a mix of 76% singletrack, 19% dirt road, and 5% asphalt. As always, racers can also test themselves in the timed enduro section on each stage which has its own unique awards and overall crown.

NEW for 2022

A new opening stage has been unveiled for 2022 making it logistically easier on everyone. This allows racers to start and finish in the same location for 3 days in a row. The new opening stage has a 5 mile warm up ride on the Brevard pathway. After arriving at the Railroad Depot park, the 15.5 mile adventure begins with a mix of machine built trails, and as always a taste of that technical backcountry Pisgah singletrack.

PSR: 5 days, 140 miles, 20,000+ft of elevation gain. 76% Singletrack- 19% Dirt road – 5% Asphalt. 5 stellar MTB routes in Pisgah National forest.

2022 Pisgah Stage Race Amenities: included with entry

5 well marked courses with enduro segment each day
Instant chip timed results
Daily leader’s jersey for all categories
Fully stocked rest stops including mechanical and medical assistance
Drop system
Recovery zone after each stage
Bike wash station
Breakfast each morning: Scones, coffee, granola, yogurt and fruit
6 locally sourced dinners: Click Here for 2022 dinner menu
Finishers T-Shirt
PSR jersey for all participants registered by March 15th
Custom Crafted Prizes – Awarded to top three in each category. $750, $500, $250 to top three overall men and women for the cross country. $150, $130, $120 to the top 3 overall enduro men and women.