Riders enjoy great conditions for 12 Hours of Mesa Verde

Monday, May 12, 2025 10:26 AM Updated Monday, May. 12, 2025 11:44 AM

Jari Hiatt from Crested Butte took first place in the solo female division in the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Fantastic weather, festive atmosphere makes Saturday’s event a success

CORTEZ – After rains throughout the week in Montezuma County, sunny skies prevailed again Saturday, gracing the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde cycling race with ideal conditions for the showcase cycling event.

Each year, athletes are encouraged to dress up in a theme – and the 2025 edition celebrated the Muppets.

The 2024 edition had been cut short of the full 12 hours because of inclement weather in the late afternoon, so riders from all over the region who descended upon Phil’s World this weekend were excited to enjoy the event’s full challenge. At the end of a full day of hundreds of cyclists zipping around the 16.4-mile loop, the final results recognized the top performers in four individual and 12 team categories.

The top male finisher in the solo field went to 16-year-old Benjamin Bigwood from Salt Lake City, who completed eight circuits in just over 11 hours – the only solo competitor to complete that many loops. Meanwhile, Crested Butte’s Jari Hiatt won the women’s solo race as one of three racers to complete seven laps – Hiatt crossed the line after her final lap in 11 hours, 14 minutes.

Sixteen-year-old Kennedy Zimmerman of Pleasant Grove, Utah, took second place in the solo female division in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

The 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde’s race theme was “Muppets,” and James Drasher from Reading, Pennsylvania, made an appearance as Beaker. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Grand Junction’s Doug Thorp took the solo single speed category by completing seven laps in 11 hours, 12 minutes, while Matt Crowley of Draper, Utah won the “geezer” race (50 and older) by circling seven laps in 10 hours, 56 minutes.

In the team events, the most laps of the weekend were completed in the male duo category, where Jonathan Modig of Vail and teammate Logan Greydanus from Crested Butte raced nine laps in 11 hours, 19 minutes and two seconds, narrowly edging the winners of the 3-4 male category, where Golden’s Brenden Beer, Camden Konegni, and Dylan Reid teamed up to finish nine laps in 11 hours, 19 minutes, and seven seconds.

Jacob Carloni from Dolores takes his first lap in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Riders take off at the starting line for the first lap of the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Bikers pick up their steeds after a brief run from the starting line in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Carson Lowe of Bountiful, Utah, pops a wheelie for the camera in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Lucy Perry from Richmond, Virginia, gets wild for the camera in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Riders curve around a bend before climbing to the Rib Cage section of the course in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Eight-year-old Jayden Cowan of Durango climbs uphill in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Julie Kremer of Durango takes a lap in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Jennifer Cowan of Farmington grins for the camera as she climbs a hill in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Josh Tostado of Fairplay took second in the solo male division in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Paul Tocco of Durango winds his way through the sagebrush-heavy portion of the trail in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Dylan Timmerman of Durango represents High Desert DEVO on his ride in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Corey Robinson of Cortez and Jessica Wood of Bayfield trek along the course in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Paul McDaniel of Cortez smiles for the camera with Jeff Clausen of Durango close on his heels in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Tonya Durkin of Durango makes some noise for the camera in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

JP Hope of Durango channels his inner Animal for the race in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Shaun Pettigrew of Kirtland, New Mexico, climbs up a shady hill in the 2025 12 Hours of Mesa Verde mountain bike race at the Phil’s World trail system in Cortez. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal

Durango’s coed duo of Diedre and Samuel Morrison also finished nine circuits, taking the top spot in their category with a time of 11 hours, 35 minutes. In the duo female category, Amanda Felder (Sedona, Arizona) and Erin Kelly (Crested Butte) won after racing eight laps in 11 hours, 13 minutes, while the top geezer duo – Ross Delaplane of Dolores and Randy Flores from Santa Fe raced eight loops in 12 hours, 14 minutes.

Another Durango group won the 3-4 female category, with Blair Matlock, Brittany Cowan, Kathy Waage, and Rachel Ross taking down eight laps in 11 hours, 10 minutes, while the 3-4 geezer race went to Bettina Mills (Durango), Michael Grajeda (Mancos), Shawn Gregory (Dolores), and Dean Shreiner (Scottsdale, Arizona,), who completed nine laps in 11 hours, 58 minutes.

The family category went to the quartet of Colorado Springs’ Emmett Frozley, Alex Huppetz, Kier Eastvold, and Durango’s Abram Fields – finishing nine laps in just over 12 hours, and the 3-4 coed group was won by Durango’s Kerri Willis, Sarah Carmona, Kristi Good, and Mike Sampson, who raced eight laps in 11 hours, 20 minutes.

In the grommet divisions (19 and under), Durango Devo won the 3-4 team race with Cedar Bremner, Jake Sandau, June Bremner, and Quentin Deluca completing nine laps in 11 hours, 30 minutes. Another Durango group won the 3-4 female title with Betty Holcomb, Ellie Shaw, Rowan Lott, and Tilia Clausen teaming up to complete eight laps in 11 hours, 21 minutes. In the 3-4 male race, a team of Asher Pope, Henry Stevens, Seth Norton, and Tanner Gillespie of Provo, Utah, won their race with nine laps in 11 hours, 45 minutes.

Proceeds from the race help support more than 15 nonprofit organizations such as the Four Corners Child Advocacy Center, Good Sam’s Food Pantry and the Pinon Project, race director Nic McDonald and the 12 Hours board look forward to continuing their legacy of giving. In 2024, it raised more than $85,000 in cash, goods, and service.

Operating with a volunteer board, the race relies on the countless hours of the community members to make the whole race weekend flow smoothly. For individuals looking to get involved to either compete or to volunteer in various capacities like venue cleanup, helping with the kid’s races or course marshaling, they can register on race’s website – www.12hoursofmesaverde.com.

Riders enjoy great conditions for 12 Hours of Mesa Verde

Ballantine Communications, Inc.

Contact Us

Find Us

Subscribe