LOUDONVILLE — Hundreds of men and women dressed in tight lycra pushing their bicycle pedals to the max: That will be the scene early Saturday morning in downtown Loudonville for the 21st annual Mohican MTB100 race.
The race has started and ended at Mohican Adventures off State Route 3 since 2020, breaking from tradition of the downtown Loudonville mass start. That changes this year.
“It’s on,” said Ryan O’Dell, race director.
O’Dell has organized the National Ultra Endurance bike race since the start. It’s grown from O’Dell and a couple dozen of his friends to drawing around 2,000 people to the area.
This year, 424 of those people have already registered for the race across its eight categories. O’Dell expects more to register closer to the event.
The race treks 100 miles or 100 kilometers through wooded trails and gravel roads in Ashland, Knox and Holmes counties.
This year’s race has attracted riders from Canada, Colorado, Vermont and various other surrounding states.
Some of the recognizable local names returning to race are former winners Drew Purcell, Jen Toops and Christian Tanguy, with out-of-town contenders such as Jordan Wakeley — known in cycling circles as the “giant from Grayling.”
O’Dell said anywhere from 150 to 200 volunteers will help out with course marshaling, manning the seven aid stations and riding along the route to make sure racers are safe.
Many of those volunteers have come from Loudonville-based New Hope Community Church, he said.
“They came at a time when we were doubling in size. They said they wanted to support a local event, ‘Is there any way we can help?’ They’ve been amazing ever since,” O’Dell said.
The race director, a cyclist himself, said feedback from racers over the years has been the event has the best volunteers and the “people are always friendly and happy.”
Spectators are welcome to attend the event. The race starts at 7 a.m. in downtown Loudonville from the village’s Central Park. Aid stations for racers will be located at seven spots throughout the course.
One of them is located at the Mohican Mountain Bike Trailhead #2, near the park’s fire tower. Two others will be located at Mohican Wilderness, off Wally Road in Glenmont.
Weather is shaping up to be hot for Saturday, with a forecast from the National Weather Service calling for 90 degrees and a 40% chance for thunderstorms after 2 p.m.
In the event of extreme rain, the race’s course that includes the state park will be re-routed to avoid damaging the trails on the public grounds.
