2007 Marathon 24 Hours of Mohican Recap:
Dry weather conditions contributed to a fast course as endurance mountain bike racers from as far away as South Africa, Maryland and Virginia made their way to the 6th annual 12/24 Hours of Mohican at Mohican Wilderness Campground, located on the far edge of Knox County this weekend.
This year’s event was really two races in one as solo riders as well as duo, trio and four person teams registered for either the 12 hour race or full 24 hours of racing along a brutal 9 mile course complete with sharp elevation gains, rock gardens and twisting fast downhill sections.
31 teams gathered at the starting line at high noon on Saturday. Both races began simultaneously with a lemans style start, consisting of a short sprint around the giant statue of Johnny Appleseed. Racers quickly found their bikes and tore off in a pack to be the first to hit the singletrack trail along Wally Road.
46 year old Charley Miller, of team Biowheels in Cincinnatti, led all racers on the first lap before being passed on the final descent by Adam Mallet, an aggressive young racer from Team Sierra Nevada. That early pass, however, became a foreshadow of things to come as experience won out over youth and team Biowheels took first in the 12 hour Duo Open, completing 13 laps or the equivalent of 117 miles.
Miller confused and amused spectators when, just three laps into the race, he grabbed a handful of brake lever, sliding into the scoring pavilion, before throwing up his arms and declaring “I won, I won”!. A festive atmosphere tempered with occasional acts of outrageousness has become the norm and a trademark of 24 hour racing.
In the 12 hour Trio, the challenge came from the all women’s team of Biowheels/Trek who finished second but just 47 minutes behind the winning all men’s team of Anatomical Design.
In the 12 hour solo class, Mesa Cycle’s Dave Breslin of St. Louis, Missouri took top honors 11 laps or the equivalent of 90 miles.
After the conclusion of the 12 hour race at midnight, a thick fog set in, and the remaining 17 teams in the 24 hour race continued on, facing bitterly cold night time temps that dipped down to 35 degree’s.
Many 24 solo racers came to Mohican this year with dreams of smashing the course record of 16 laps, set in 2005 by the reigning 24 hour National Solo Champion and two-time US Olympian, David “Tinker” Juarez. Juarez has become a legend in the mountain bike world at 46 years old. However, as noon approached it become clear to everyone that those record breaking dreams would be crushed until next year. Tinkers record would stand stand for a fourth year.
Spin bicycles Chip Meek was the early favorite putting a two lap lead over the rest of the field as turned the cranks in what appeared might be a record breaking victory. Endurance racing, however, has a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Meek had already completed 13 laps before succumbing to an Achilles tendon injury during the wee hours just before dawn in what has become known as the “witching hours” in 24 hour racing. Amusing everyone within earshot, Campus Cyclery’s Mark “Mid-Level” Rucker, upon hearing the news, screamed, “lock and load girls, ‘cuz your gonna need tickets for this gun show!”
Meanwhile, Zak Dieringer was puttin’ on a show of his own and seizing the opportunity for a solo victory. Dieringer duke’d it out with Rucker, each hammering out 15 laps or the equivalent of 145 miles! For perspective, consider that the 9 mile race course includes 2000 feet of vertical elevation and their 15 laps equates to 145 miles and 30,000 vertical feet! In the end, Dieringer rained on Rucker’s gun show to capture the coveted solo title by time in just 22 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds.
Rucker, tongue in cheek, blamed his loss on the gnomes he claimed to see along the course and team mate Charley Miller confirmed his claim stating that a gnome had grabbed his front tire causing him to slip off a small ladder bridge over one of several creek crossings.
Duo Champions, team Live Dirty Girls Sonja Day and Heidi Shilling, well known on the National 24 hour circuit, turned out 14 laps, the greatest of any women’s team, despite an early crash in the rock gardens that left Heidi with a scraped knee.
Team Whoohaa had no competition as the only 24 hour trio but still churned out 10 laps anyway before deciding to retire near the Sierra Nevada team, who lured racers over with samples of their popular summer ale.
The returning 4 person 24 hour Mohican Champions of Team Endura put the heat on the entire field and removed any hope of victory with a 4 lap, 36 mile lead over the nearest challenger. Endura had their sites set on a greater goal, determined to break their record of 25 laps set in 2006. Despite a few snafu’s, including a team mate that was in his tent when their team mate arrived at the scoring pavilion, Endura raised the bar higher completing 26 laps, or 234 miles and 52,000 vertical feet, in 24 hours, 32 minutes and 4 seconds. Team member Tim Carson put the exclamation point on the win by also recording the fastest lap at just 44 minutes and the fastest night lap at 52 minutes!
Over $4000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the winners courtesy of Marathon Oil, title sponsor of the event, as well as Hammer Nutrition, Endura Apparel, Niterider brand lights, Kenda Tire, Cannondale Bicycles and Bike, Trikes and Boards of Wooster.
Complete results and more information on the 12/24 hours of Mohican can be found on the web at www.mohican.net