Images: Stephen Trimble

David Trimble, a New York City cyclist and race promoter, appears eager to expand his portfolio of eclectic events. His Red Hook Criterium in Brooklyn has grown in recent years from an off-beat birthday party with friends into an immensely popular event with both racers and fans. The RHC template has even expanded to Milan, Italy. Trimble continues to come up with new ideas, putting on a number of challenging races with friends, most recently traveling to his native Alaska for a down-and-up adventure through Hatcher Pass.

Here is the brief story of another one of a kind event, in David's own words:

How to describe a race that covered 70 miles with 8,000 feet of climbing and white knuckle descending in the cold rain through the wilderness of Alaska? To say that it was "epic" or "brutal" doesn't work because every hard ride these days seems to earn that distinction. For everyone involved, this was not about racing. The race was only an excuse to use Alaska to find and cross the edge of comfort and sanity. 

Take Pavel Marosin. On a remote trail the monday before the race he misjudged a descent and smashed his face on a rock. This incident turned into a dramatic helicopter rescue, reconstructive surgery, numerous broken teeth, and a massive concussion. After two days he had sworn himself off pain killers in order to race on Saturday. Or the power couple, Gabe Lloyd and Kacey Manderfield. The day before the race, Gabe proposed to Kacey halfway up the 4,000-foot climb to the race venue. The next day they both tackled the muddy and rocky route on slick tired road bikes. Andrew Huitink, a city kid from Los Angeles, is another example. He scrapped together every last penny for the flight to Anchorage and then rode ninety miles to the race start camping along the way in bear-infested bush. The day after the race he sent off again on a completely unsupported journey through the wilds.

Todd Ingermason and Kirk Bernhardt spent two weeks bike touring around Alaska before the race, using the opportunity to scour town thrift stores for wool sweaters and tweed. They both completed race wearing ties, blazers, and wool slacks. For them it was about conquering the elements while maintaining their dignity and not giving into the need for modern technical wear. Last place finisher David Frame completed not only his first ever bike race but it was also the first time he had ever ridden a distance over fifty miles. Baptism of fire is an understatement. Jamey Stull, the strongest rider in the race, broke his shifter halfway up the big climb and used his water bottle to pull the cable and jam his rear derailleur into the climbing gear. He fought to stay in contention with his wounded machine and ultimately ran up the final switch back climb, coming in only minutes behind. 

The point is that every competitor in this race was here for a reason and it wasn't for race results or prizes. At the end of the day I somehow won, which was beyond my wildest expectations. I hadn't performed well in a bike race in years. The limit in Alaska is so easy to reach that the only solution is to go over it.

67 Miles

7,800 ft of elevation

Start time 11:30 am

45 degrees and rain

1. David Trimble 4:07

2. Pavel Marosin -1:00

3. Jamey Stull -4:00

4. Jordan Haffener -32:00

5. Danti Petri -43:00

6. Andrew Berstein -47:00

7. Gabe Lloyd -57:00

8. Julian Darwall -62:00

9. Todd Ingermason -73:00

10. Kirk Bernhardt -95:00

11. David Frame -136:00

12. Kacey Manderfield  DNF

13. Andrew Huitink  DNF

For more images, click here.