To qualify for the Ultra Endurance National Championship overall title a competitor must enter 4 of the 6 events. Attendance at the Shenandoah Mountain 100 Series Final is mandatory. National titles will be awarded in the men and women open, single speed and 50+ divisions.
An interesting twist is that the overall champion is based on the total accumulated losing time for his best 4 events. How it works is that points are given to a rider for each second that he finishes behind the winner. If Og Ogelby finishes 10 minutes behind Jeremiah Bishop's new sub-8 hour record at the Mohican 100, he will be slapped with a 600 point penalty (minutes x 60 seconds). Bishop, on the other hand, receives a zero point penalty. At series end the rider with the lowest points wins.
Hit up www.ultramtb.com for more information on the National MTB Ultra Endurance Series. As it nears the June 3 kickoff, expect more sponsors and more cash to be added to the series. So far Kenda, Independent Fabrication, Thompson Seat Posts, Hammer Gel and Cannondale have all signed up their support.
NATIONAL MTB ULTRA ENDURANCE SERIES USER'S GUIDE
*Jun 3: Mohican MTB 100 (Loudonville, Ohio)--A one lap race almost entirely in the 5000 acre Mohican State Park. Unrelenting jagged and rolling terrain give a total vertical gain of 11,000-plus feet. The 100-mile record of 8:05:50 is owned by Trek/VW pro Jeremiah Bishop.
*Jun 17: Lumberjack 100 (Wellston, Michigan)--This event also includes Michigan's Single Speed Championships. Four 25 mile circuits through the Manistee National Forest ski area dish up 8000 feet of total elevation. A second year event, the time to beat is Scott Quiring's 7:27:38.
*Jul 15: Breckenridge 100 (Breckenridge, Colorado)--The Breckenridge 100 is a cloverleaf circuit that loops through the 10,000-plus foot backcountry of the surrounding ski resorts. Add in over 14,000 feet of climbing and you have a "challenge." Hometown hero Josh Tostado's 9:13:19 is the time to beat.
*Jul 29: Wilderness 101 (State College, Pennsylvania)--Run on a network of "very" busy trails through the Bald Eagle and Rothrock State Forests, this event might become the biggest challenge of the series. Six-time 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Champion Chris Eatough set a new record of 6:59:48.
*Aug 26: The Endurance 100 (Park City, Utah)--Start from the parking lot behind Smokies Restaurant and... climb a total of 18,627 feet as you clear Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, the Deer Crest Development and then back to The Canyons. Bart Gillespie's 10:09:07 is the time to beat.
*Sep 3: Shenandoah 100 (Harrisonburg, Virginia)--A race on the most difficult trails in the George Washington National forest. Total vertical elevation gain comes to 14,000 feet. The time to beat in the must-attend finale is multi-Shenandoah 100 Champ Jeremiah Bishop's 7:23:36 record.
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