Sawtooth Mountain Bike Challenge race coordinators have moved the event back a month this year in the hopes of attracting more entrants. Above, a group of riders earnestly pedaled the beautifully wooded trails of Pincushion Mountains in their quest for a top place in last year’s sport race.
Pincushion Mountain will once again be the site of the Sawtooth Mountain Challenge, but this year the event will move from September 14 to October 17.
New race coordinators Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux and Sam Hedstrom felt by moving the event back it would give more people a chance to enter, and they picked a time that has fewer statewide mountain biking events with which to compete.
“We had a hard time connecting with the cycling community in September,” said Arrowsmith DeCoux. “There are a lot of events, a ton of races in September. We felt by moving our race back it would give more riders a chance to enter our event.”
The date change isn’t all that is going to be different, said Arrowsmith DeCoux. The race will no longer start in downtown Grand Marais, instead it will take place entirely on the Pincushion Mountain trails, he said.
“Logistically this will work better for racers,” said Arrowsmith DeCoux. “We also won’t have to work with the police to get roads closed and riders won’t have to climb that long hill at the start. It should be better all the way around.”
Hedstrom and Arrowmith DeCoux are replacing longtime coordinators Tim Kennedy and Mark Spinler. “Both Jay and Sam are interested in taking the race in a new direction. It will be interesting to see how it goes. I imagine I will still be involved in some way with the race, but I’m not sure what that will be at this time,” Spinler said.
With three races to enter, there is something for everyone, from the novice to expert rider. The Citizen Race is 8 miles long, the Sport Race is 14 miles long, and the Expert Race is 21 miles long. Most of the two longer races will be conducted on single track mountain bike trails with some ski trails getting thrown into the mix. Arrowsmith DeCoux said the Citizens Race will be run more on ski trails and won’t be as technical as the longer events. “We want to encourage new riders to enter and want them to have a good experience,” he said.
There will also be a one-mile kids’ race open for children ages 3 to 8 that will be free.
For more information about the race, or to get a registration form, visit www.active.com.
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