The U Kon Echelon Bike Club hosted its final race of the season, a Halloween-themed mountain bike race, Oct. 16 on the trails near Porter Creek Secondary School in Whitehorse.
A total of 26 riders took part in the costumed race, with 14 racing two 4.5-kilometre laps and a further 12 racing the 2.5-km course.
Times in the intermediate race are somewhat inaccurate as for the second time this fall individuals vandalized trail markings, leading riders to make wrong turns — something organizers said was an extreme disappointment.
First up on the day was the nine-km race.
Reid Saniford was the fastest rider, winning the U13 boys category with a time of 36 minutes and 30 seconds. Saniford finished with an identical time to the U15 boys winner, Rian Strand.
Second place in the U13 boys category went to Alex LeBarge, with Mavic Mackinnon third and Johna Irving-Staley fourth.
Evan Lafreniere finished second in the U15 boys category.
Juliet Crowe rode in the U13 girls category, finishing first in 44 minutes and 32 seconds.
Moving up to U15 girls, Tori Vollmer finished in 54 minutes and nine seconds to edge out the win over Annie Heffner by five seconds.
Ava Irving-Staley finished in 45 minutes and 42 seconds to place first in the U17 girls category.
Veronica Porter won the U19 girls category with a time of 42 minutes and 51 seconds.
Organizer Trena Irving was the fastest woman, winning the master’s women category with a time of 36 minutes and 30 seconds.
Riding in the novice boys category, Zak Brown finished 4.5-km — one lap — in 18 minutes.
The second race of the day featured 12 riders in five categories, all riding 2.5 km.
Murphy Simons, the youngest racer in the field at 6, set the pace in the U17 boys category with a time of 16 minutes and 21 seconds.
In the U19 girls category, Alice Belanger finished first with a time of 13 minutes and 45 seconds. Rose Preto finished second.
Roger Luxemburger won the U9 boys category, with Oskar Luxemburger second and Cody Young third.
The U11 boys category featured four riders. Kai Gibson-Tyler finished first, Jack Belanger finished second, Thomas Vollmer finished third, and Jack Young finished fourth.
Rounding out the results, Cassidy Lowen bested Jacqueline de Jager in the novice girls category.
While this is the final mountain bike race of the fall, plans are already underway to host fat bike rides and races during the winter. More information can be found on the U Kon Echelon Facebook page.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com