CTR Day 8 and counting

7 Days Is Up!

More Bouncing Dots

We Have A Winner!

Day 4 Update CTR - One Final Push!

Day 3 Update CTR - Big Moves

CTR Update 2

Update 1 - 1 Day and 6 Hours In

As year on year we've seen the CTR get faster, more competitive and more challenging the stories have continued to flow.

With some big names on the start list there were rumblings that the unstoppable Lael Wilcox may be able to dominate the race outright, but due to strong competition and her asthma she wasn't able to take the crown. Instead we saw a relatively unknown rider, Katya Rakhmatulina absolutely smash the trail. She set a new FKT and won the women's race. Alexandera Houchin set a new FKT on the SS for women and got her sub-7 day finish.

In the men's field, Miron Golfman, all-round rider took the crown after some unexpected shakeups. Jason Kiefer was leading for so long but sustained a race-altering crash. Alex Schultz was also pushing the lead but unfortunately DNFed leaving a gap for other riders to pull through, completely shaking up the lead.

There's been so many stories from the trail and plenty of stories that riders will keep with them forever. Well done to everyone at the 2023 CTR!

Colorado Trail Race Wrap Up

We have 8 riders still out on the Grand Depart. They're joined by a few ITT riders and still smashing out the CTR.

Ellen Patten finished earlier today, leaving Liz Ryan and Sarah Higgins on the route in the women's race. 

In other news, Dean Anderson finished at the Waterton Canyon Trailhead. It is unverified, but he may be the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown, He completed the 2016 Tour Divide and 2018 Arizona Trail Race 750.

For those keen to explore more, head to the CTR Facebook group to find Matt Annabel's in depth race write up. He reminisces about his time on the trail, riding with his fellow CTR grand depart riders, solidarity with the single-speed riders. But for now, we'll leave you with his reflections on the CTR:

"I’ve heard Jefe call you a “brutal and beautiful teacher.” I saw that so clearly this year. Last year (on my first traverse), I was there to learn. You gave me a rough, yet welcoming, embrace. This year, I was there to steal time, so you showed me the fucking yard-stick. Holy hell you are a hard-ass. Like the morning of day three when you chocked my first pedal stroke sending me face-first into the ground and cracking Badger’s [Matt's bike] bar-end. Or when I leaned Badger against a small aspen tree near Tiger Run to clean the chain and a sudden gust of wind swayed the tree causing Badger to roll down an embankment. I looked up to find the tree giving me the finger (literally). Or, when I decided (without consulting you) that Strontia Springs Dam would be my finish line so I would not have my single-speed journey end with the indignity of getting passed by a geared rider in Waterton Canyon. Just as I exited the trail, and let both the bike - and a “whoop” - rip, you sent a bee-sting into my left eyelid at 40mph. I very nearly wrecked! But I am eternally grateful for the lesson you taught me descending Searle Pass (in the dark, rain, and severely sleep deprived). You let me survive a massive mistake, while both humbling and empowering me. Thank you! I love you! You will always be my favorite teacher, no matter how cruel and rough your methods may seem."

The 7 days is up and most of the riders are finished. There are still riders out tackling the CTR but 24 have made it in under 7 days which is a huge amount for this challenging race. 

Petr Ineman was bedded down in Waterton last night prior to the final push. He was locked in until 6:30am in the morning with no notice or sign that it was going to be locked. Eventually some hikers were able to call someone to let him out but he spent the night in a restroom! Sadly, not the way he was looking to finish the race, but still managed a sub-7 finish. It seemed the gates were locked due to fires up in the canyon, the rain was hoped to put it out.

Alexandera made same incredible patches for the winners of the CTR, with over 3000 beads this patches are an emblem of the amazing trail and call back to her native roots. Head to her Instagram Post (linked at the bottom) to learn more about these fantastic patches. 

We'll keep you updated as more riders roll in!

[POST](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv4XI2ZJ7XG/?img_index=1)


Lael Wilcox is second woman on the CTR. She rolled in with a 5d08h17m finish. Lael has been struggling immensely with her breathing and this slowed her down significantly throughout the race. She came in second woman after Katya and before Ana Jager who pulled through minutes before Alexandera with 5d14h26m.

As our last post predicted ALEXANDERA DID IT! After six years of challenging herself on the Colorado Trail Race, Alexandera had a sub-6 day single speed finish. We cannot emphasise enough how challenging this race is, to then do it on a single speed is nothing short of tough as nails. Congrats, Alexandera, a 5d14h31m finish. This also means she sets a new women's singlespeed FKT.

The race between Ana and Alexandera didn't begin this year, last year Alexandera came through early with a strong lead taking the win. This year, Ana kept constantly closing the gap and seemed to have taken Alexandera in the last few moments!

Lilly Frances Hacker came in at 5d23h09m as the first non-binary rider to finish, another smashing sub-6 hour finish.

There have been around 30 riders on for a sub-7 day finish making this a very fast year.

At a few minutes past 5am this morning, Katya Rakhmatulina’s wheels touched down at Waterton Canyon trailhead making her this year’s first female in a new provisional fastest women’s time of 5D 1H 53M. This is the first time a woman has clocked a time on the grand depart under six days and worthy of a mighty celebration! Congratulations Katya!

A dotwatcher at the trailhead said that when Katya’s mum was told her daughter set a new women’s record, she replied “this is not surprising, she is iron”. This is something none of us need convincing of.

The race flow shows that Katya was able to extend her 10 mile advantage over Lael at 9am from Georgia Pass yesterday morning to 40 miles over the succeeding 12 hours. Lael has slipped back in the rankings due to her asthma but is set to finish within the next two hours.

Behind Lael, Alexandera Houchin has been steadily closing in on her goal of finishing sub-6 days. She currently has 45 miles to go and 19 hours to ride that in, so, barring mechanical, Alexandera should make good on the goal she’s been chasing for the past six attempts.

*Header image from Jackson Lester*

Katya Rakhmatulina Wins Women's Category With New FKT

Miron Golfman wins the 2023 Colorado Trail Race!

After a long battle and some shake-ups in the top 10 Miron took the lead after Jason Kiefer sadly sustained a crash just prior to Wellington Lake and ultimately finished third. A frustrating ending for Jason however, Miron fought so well despite having stomach issues at the start of the race. Moving solidly up the ranks in the second half, matching Jason and then almost catching him.

Second in was Dustin Eroh, who also was not in the original top three. Dustin rode incredibly well, keeping pace and moving tactically with short stops and riding fast when he could.

Lael Wilcox has continued on and potentially missed a reroute having to trek up and down a log-ridden slope. Katya has overtaken Lael and is 1st woman, looking to be 5th overall. Katya's riding has been unbelievably consistent this year and she looks like she'll come in just after Nate and Andy.

Nate and Andy are moving for 3rd and 4th, at this point they're pretty much riding together so there is no way of telling. However, not long ago, Nate seemed to almost ride backwards and Katya was ahead briefly, can she sustain this for a 4th overall?

Only two weeks ago, Timon Fish set a new FKT on the route heading northbound in a blistering time of 3D 16H 13M. The clock has just passed the 4 day mark which means Timon's time will go untouched, for now.

Jason appeared to deviate from the route on Track Leaders into Copper Mountain early yesterday afternoon and it had been announced pre-depart that due to construction, any route through Copper Mountain Village will be allowed. However, once again, late afternoon he turned off the route and headed south to a gas station in Breckenridge which cost him ninety minutes. Jason’s a local rider with veteran experience from 2021 so it’s surprising to see him need to spend so long off route for a resupply. Miron sits only 3 miles behind him and with his experience in longer races this year, Miron will be well-versed in pacing himself up to the finish. Dustin Eroh, who finished first at the Highland Trail 550 in the deluge year of 2019, Andy Wiedrich and Nate Ginzton are all within 10 miles of Jason as they head into the final 125 miles of racing. Miron Golfman has been moving up the pack over the past few days and has an average speed of almost 1mph more than his counterparts, as well as an extra 6hrs+ of rest in him so we could see him utilise his speed advantage and close the gap to Jason, as evidenced in the race flow below. Their estimated finish time is midnight local time at which point we'll know our CTR 2023 winner!

![CTR race Flow 400mile](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7hXNFwTDwYE3irEs8ZnlKn/3cbbde69bc529c56a65314884bc45645/CTR_race_Flow_400mile.png)

Sitting in sixth position and only 25 miles behind Jason is Katya Rakhmatulina who has slowly been gaining ground on Lael over the past two nights by sleeping less. Lael has been reporting breathing problems due to her asthma. Katya now holds a 13 mile advantage over Lael, with 150 miles to go. Katya has taken a rest of just under two hours tonight, while Lael has almost three hours of rest in her. With only one day of riding left, there’s every chance they both ride without stopping to the finish when they arrive in the early hours of the morning.

The only Canadian representative is Dean Anderson who is one of the fourteen riders tackling the race on a single speed Kona Unit X with a ratio of 30:24. He’s finished the Tour Divide (2016) and Arizona Trail Race (2018) and is hoping to be the first Canadian to complete the Triple Crown. He's approaching the halfway point and killing it!

Big moves have been made in the last 24 hours, let's dig in.

Jason Kiefer is still in the lead but we no longer have the solid top three of the past few days. After feeling ill with a bad chest and breathing issues, Alex Schultz has taken the decision to finish, we wish him a speedy recovery!

However, moving quickly up the ranks is Tour Divide Racer Miron Golfman, he is now in 2nd place. Miron was struggling with stomach issues early on in the race but seems to have recovered and is now riding faster than any other rider on the trail.

Only mere metres behind is Dustin Eroh, the Alaskan moved up the ranks after taking a short break last night and then moving incredibly fast through the next section of the race. Nate Ginzton and Andy Wiedrich (our first single speed rider) round out the top 5, both having a decent rest last night.

Lael Wilcox is still first woman however after a less than 4 hour rest last night her pace is slowing only ever so slightly compared to the rest of the leaders. Lael is having more trouble breathing which is her self-proclaimed Achille's Heel (due to her Asthma), hopefully she'll breathe easier soon!

Last night, Katya actually overtook Lael when looking for her rest spot but left after and once again dropped to second. The gap widened once again after Mt Elbert but there is still significant time to see if it can close, or widen.

Ana Jager is pushing ahead in the third spot, holding off the previous edition's winner Alexandera Houchin who is the first woman on a single speed.

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates throughout the next few days!

Wow, a lot has happened and a lot to go over... so here goes nothing!

Semi-formally organised by Jefe Branham, the organiser much like Alan Goldsmith of the HT550 or Chris Ellison of the Dales Divide here in the UK, races himself. Over 20 hours ago, Jefe crashed just before Carson Saddle and has done some pretty bad damage to his wrist. He's pulled from the race and is in our thoughts! Heal well.

The Front three, Alex Schultz, Jason Kiefer and Lael Wilcox have slightly drifted with Lael dropping back around 8 miles as the other two continue to leapfrog one another on the trail. Lael took a break at 215 miles and seemingly rested for 3:30hrs at night just after she overtook Alex. She has given an update: Riding conditions have been generally good with pleasant weather except for a short storm with hail yesterday, but still feeling a million bucks!

This is a pacey edition, Alex and Jason are riding almost together and are almost half way along the route. If these top riders continue to push one another we could see a quick finish.

In the top 20 there was some big moves from Dustin Eroh and Ana Jager. Dustin is now in 5th after simply not stopping and Ana has moved into 11th after stopping for only 3 hours and some last night. This has put them both into a good position for the remainder of the race. One of our racers to follow, Bodhi Roether, has also been making moves, he's now in 14th position after starting slightly less strongly. Maybe he'll end with our predicted goal for this year.

Nate Ginzton was leading for the early part of the race, but after stopping longer overnight he is now in a battle with Dustin who is pretty much neck and neck with the rider. Could we see Dustin and Nate push each other to catch the top 3?

One person I've been stoked to follow this year is Katya Rakhmatulina. At 9th overall she has been flying through this race most likely looking to take a top ten spot at least. Katya was riding pretty much neck and neck with Lael until resting for the first night. However, after her sleep her pace was on par with Lael's and has been incrementally speeding up. Could this be a situation where rest plays a factor? She's currently at 222 miles and could be running a negative sleeping strategy (sleeping more at the start to power through at the end). Keep an eye on Katya and how her race is going.


## Weather

As mentioned in our preview, the weather last year for the CTR was abysmal. Torrential rain didn't let up and riders were in a mudbath. The stark contrast this year has meant there is some real speed up front and throughout the pack. Reaching the mid-30s celcius/ mid-90s Farenheit. It's slightly overcast, preventing the scorching sun from reaching riders and keeps the ground dry and rollable.

![Screenshot 2023-08-14 at 17.34.23](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6EHr3HmPBae5TAAzHTInth/1eaaef15eebc4d1c1c8536508bd49e6a/Screenshot_2023-08-14_at_17.34.23.png)

## The Front - Eastbound

Up front is a strong 3, Jason Kiefer, Alex Schultz and Lael Wilcox. This tri has been moving pretty much non-stop from the start. At this time, looking at the race flow above this has been particularly true for Lael. Alex took a longer stop at the 92 mile mark around stony pass, leaving enough of a gap for Jason to push through.

The leaders are currently pushing 150 miles and are pushing into Cochetopa, hopefully this will be a good goal for them to reach as they'll have some flowing valley riding. After this, some beefy climbing will start.

*IF* the riders are planning to stop and rest at any point, we'll keep our eyes open for any social media updates as they breeze through.

Andy Wiedrich is leading the next bunch pulling up on Spring Creek Pass at 122 miles. Andy is also the first position riding a single speed bike in this year's race.

Katya Rakhmatulina is the second placed woman, having taken a break at 90 miles last night. 

Sarah Higgins, who is closing in on Stony Pass at mile 90 has provided some pure views of what the CTR is like when the weather is good and golden hour is really golden. Checkout the featured image!

![Screenshot 2023-08-14 at 17.43.15](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3V92rHXmrejVjMlQQMLP0m/7deedb44cfe39c2b6f3f2fb8c014393a/Screenshot_2023-08-14_at_17.43.15.png)

## Other Riders

Of note, Timon Fish recently completely his ITT in 3d 16hr 15min. He did this a week prior to the mass start, this is a pretty pacey finish! Could this be an indicator of a potential FKT on the route this year.


Kitty Dennis

Beccy Waters

Colorado Trail Race 2023 Tracking + Commentary: An original of the world of bikepacking, the Colorado Trail Race is a mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies. Notorious for its tough terrain and altitude, the CTR is not for the faint of heart.

Colorado Trail Race 2023 Tracking

An original of the world of bikepacking, the Colorado Trail Race is a mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies. Notorious for its tough terrain and altitude, the CTR is not for the faint of heart.

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Colorado Trail Race 2023

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