During the cool, blue hours of early dawn, vehicles came up the canyon with full bicycle racks. The quiet streets of Nederland were soon filled with the click-clacking of gears shifting and
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During the cool, blue hours of early dawn, vehicles came up the canyon with full bicycle racks. The quiet streets of Nederland were soon filled with the click-clacking of gears shifting and pedals idling, as bicyclists tested their rides, preparing for the first big race, the Ultra Course, set to launch at 5 a.m.
Racers from around the country, and the world, register for the Ultra Course, described as “not for the faint of heart,” to put their abilities to the ultimate test. The Ultra Course is a 116 mile course with a big elevational gain, topping out at 14,219 feet, and is the headlining race for Peak to Peak Endurance’s NedGravel.
The fourth annual NedGravel began with the launch of the Ultra Course at 5 a.m. and continued all day on Saturday, July 13, 2024, ending with an Expo and awards ceremony, featuring big name brands in bicycles and gear, food trucks, and live music.
Throughout the day, all along East Street, as the sweltering sun’s reflection shimmered off the surface of the reservoir, racers geared up and stretched, then lined up at the base of East 3rd Street, where each of five different races launched.
The Tungsten Course, a 70-mile race through Switzerland Trail to Gold Hill and back down into Nederland, launched at 7 a.m., the 50-mile Gold Course launched at 7:30 a.m., and the 20-mile Silver Course at 8 a.m., as did the brand new Bronze Course, which is designed for those who are “gravel curious.”
Dave Towle expertly emceed the event and would introduce race organizer, and owner of Peak to Peak Endurance, Gavin Coombs before each race to welcome racers to NedGravel and to give them a rundown of each course, since the longer courses contained aid stations with required time cutoffs.
The Expo, which was held in Barker Meadows Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., provided cyclists with demonstrations from Cat Eye, Dean, Deuter, and Mosaic, and with much-needed sustenance offered by Enduro, with racer-tested protein bars.
The Matt Flaherty Band rocked the stage as racers and bike enthusiasts perused the NedGravel Expo and checked out one of the many food options, including Baus Burger, Mama Roos, and Bohemian Wurst Co.
Of the 38 total participants, Katelyn Luther was the only female racer to compete in the Ultra Course and completed the race with a time of 11:15:21. Lachlan Morton won first place in the Ultra for the male category with a time of 6:56:38.
The Tungsten Course had a total of 203 participants, with Lauren DeCrescenzo winning first place in the female category with a time of 4:17:20, and Eric Brunner winning first place in the male category with a time of 3:52:55. Of the 287 participants for the Gold Course, Amelia Shea won first place in the female category with the time of 3:32:58, and Jeff Hartman won first place in the male category with the time of 3:01:30.
For more information on Peak to Peak Endurance please go to: https://www.peaktopeakendurance.com. For more information on Ned Gravel, as well as the complete race results for the 2024 event, please go to: https://www.nedgravel.com.
