Registration is now open for this summer’s Boggy Draw Beat Down in Dolores, a premier mountain bike race organized by the Dolores Rotary Club.
What was in previous years a race coinciding with Escalante Days crowds has evolved into a standalone weekend that draws hundreds.
Now in its 28th year, the race features several changes, including new course options, a featured adaptive category and new partnerships, along with its traditional $500 purse for male and female riders who break the 33-mile course time.
Race director Susan Lisak said this year’s maximum participation is 275 racers, guided by parameters from San Juan National Forest Service officials.
Riders may register on the race website until July 28 or on the day of the race if limits for each course are not exceeded. Race fees increase in July.
The race, which takes place Aug. 1, runs through the town’s popular Boggy Draw Trail System. The terrain is ideal for high speeds and easy passes. Routes snake through ponderosa pines, pass occasional meadows and climb canyons through the aspens, with three routes edging along McPhee’s cliffside.
Organizers removed the 60-mile race this summer, citing the large effort required throughout race day and limited participation.
“It was really volunteer-heavy because you have a huge forest, 60 miles worth of course, and you had to have volunteers every so often,” Lisak said.
Courses offered instead include a three-mile fun ride, 15-, 18- and 33-mile races, with the 33-mile race serving as the marquee event. Current 33-mile record holders are Ivan Sippy at 2:09:54 for men and Maggie Holcomb at 2:31:46 for women, both set in 2020.
A fourth race course for adaptive bikes grew out of a partnership with Tim McGough of the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program.
“He came to us and said, ‘Hey, I have people interested in riding your race but because they have adaptive bikes, we’re not quite sure how that’s going to work,’” Lisak said.
That sparked a series of planning meetings to determine which route would work best.
Organizers ultimately selected a 15-mile mountain course that can be adapted to accommodate specialized bikes designed for riders with disabilities.
“We’re allowing either motorized or non-motorized adaptive vehicles. Normally motorized isn’t allowed right in the forest. But this because this is an Americans with Disabilities Act feature, it is allowed for this race,” Lisak said.
Last year, a small group of adaptive riders tested the course, providing feedback on potential barriers such as tight turns or inaccessible cattle guards. Based on that input, the Forest Service made improvements with grant money, including replacing some cattle guards that were too narrow for bikes that can reach up to 48 inches wide.
The race is the Rotary Club’s largest fundraiser, typically raising tens of thousands of dollars.
“This race determines how much money we can give out every year, we love to have the racers come and support us,” Lisak said.
awatson@the-journal.com
