There are mountain bike races the world over. Each one promises to provide riders with a different challenge, a different level of competition, a different opportunity for glory. But how many of those races promise to provide riders with the option – and the responsibility – of choosing the course that will provide the best route to that glory? In the inaugural Moab Epic on October 24, racers will not only have to ride more than 50 miles of some of the toughest mountain biking trails on the planet, they’ll have to pick the path that will determine their place on the podium.
“We wanted to do something a little different, to bring a new challenge to mountain bike racing,” said race director Will Newcomer. “By having racers choose their own course, it adds a whole new level of strategy to the competition.”
As the founder of Gravity Play Sports, Newcomer has been producing races and endurance events such as the AXS Adventure Xtream and ClimAXS Challenge for more than 15 years. Each of the competitions is unique and include several different types of activities – from trail running and mountain biking to zip lining and kayaking – based on the natural terrain of the area where the competition takes place. The one aspect that ties them all together is that in each of the races the participants have the ability to choose the course they want to take.
“That’s the aspect that everyone loves,” Newcomer said. “But for some athletes, it can be very intimidating to try and do all those different activities and navigate their own course. We wanted to limit the Moab Epic to just mountain biking as a way to give more people an opportunity to compete in this type of adventure racing.”
Participants in the Moab Epic will be given a topo map that outlines more than 20 checkpoints scattered across 50 miles of some of Moab’s most notorious trail networks including the Magnificent 7 and the Moab Brand. Racers will have eight hours to reach as many of the checkpoints as they can – collecting a unique punch on their passport at each checkpoint – before crossing the finish line. The route they ride to hit those checkpoints, however, is completely up to them.
“For people who are familiar with orienteering, it’s all about strategy,” Newcomer said. “You chose the course that plays to your individual strengths. If you’re not as good on the technical sections but you have great endurance, you can choose a longer route that’s on easier trails. But if you’re a stronger downhill rider, you can pick the shorter, more technical descents. It’s as much about the strategy as it is about the racing.”
A proficiency in orienteering isn’t necessarily a pre-requisite, however. All of the routes are on designated trails, so anyone with a basic understanding of how to interpret a topo map will have the necessary skills to choose a manageable route and navigate the course.
“It’s really designed to accommodate a full gambit of abilities,” Newcomer said. “It’s not a requirement to hit all the checkpoints, it’s more a matter of personal achievement and people setting goals based on what they want to accomplish. The only requirement is to have fun.”
There will, however, be $3,000 in prize money up for grabs. The top prize of $500 will be awarded to the male and female racer who hit the highest number of checkpoints in the shortest amount of time. Each subsequent cash prize will be a $100 less, with the fifth place finisher being awarded a check for $100. Entry fees for the race are $95 if entered before July 1, but rise to $115 after September 1. The fee includes a mandatory $5 donation that will go to the Moab Trails Alliance and Moab Trails Mix as a way to support continued trail building efforts in the area.
To pick your path to the podium, go to www.moabepic.com.
Choose wisely.
