U Kon Echelon Bike Club hosted the 2020 Forestry Trails Mountain Bike Race on Sept. 27 at the Gunnar Nilsson and Mickey Lammers Research Forest, with 33 riders competing on a wet and cold Sunday morning.
The idea to hold a race at the research forest came from Derek Crowe, one of the co-founders of Singletrack to Success — the program that created many of the features on the race loop.
Racing happened on the Flow Trail, with riders completing one, two or three six-kilometre laps depending on age and category.
Open to all ages, the youngest rider was four-year-old Rylan Morris who finished first in the U5 girls category. Morris completed her six-km ride in 53 minutes and five seconds.
A total of three riders raced at the U7 six-km level. Gally Cann was the fastest overall with a time of 35 minutes and 18 seconds, while Rowan Evans was the fastest boy finishing in 49 minutes and 25 seconds. Cullen Fischer finished third overall in 59 minutes and 10 seconds.
The U9 boys six-km category was one of the largest on the day with six riders.
Lowell Minifie set the pace with a time of 24 minutes and 50 seconds. Roger Luxemburger and Max Labelle finished second and third in a tight finish. Luxemburger posted a time of 26 minutes and 13.11 seconds, while Labelle finished in 26 minutes and 13.61 seconds.
Mathis Bergeron was fourth, Oskar Luxemburger was fifth and Simon Crowe was sixth.
Oliver Cann raced in the U11 boys six-km category and finished in a time of 24 minutes and 37 seconds.
Moving up to the U13 girls 12-km category, Juliet Crowe finished in 45 minutes and four seconds.
The novice 12-km category saw Brant Lowen finish in 34 minutes flat, with Gabe Coderre withdrawing from the race before the finish.
The other large cohort for the race was the U13 boys 12-km category with six competitors.
Heron Land-Gillis was first with a time of 43 minutes and 35 seconds, following closely by Reid Saniford in 43 minutes and 36 seconds.
Rounding out the top three was Alex LeBarge in 44 minutes and 43 seconds.
Johna Irving-Staley placed fourth, Sitka Land-Gillis placed fifth and Henry Connors placed sixth.
In the U15 boys 12-km category, Taiga Buurman led the way with a time of 44 minutes and eight seconds.
Trustan Boulanger was second in 47 minutes and Drayden Fentie was third in 47 minutes and 15 seconds. Donte Fentie placed fourth.
Cassidy Lowen was the lone U15 girls 12-km rider, finishing in 50 minutes and 17 seconds, while Jacqueline de Jager finished six km in 38 minutes and 45 seconds.
Moving up to U17 men’s categories, Seth Falle finished the 18-km race in one hour, two minutes and six seconds, and Nathan Boulanger finished the 12-km race, although no time was provided.
Ava Irving-Staley competed in the U17 women’s 18-km category, finishing in one hour, four minutes and 49 seconds.
In the U19 women’s 18-km race, Veronica Porter finished in one hour, eight minutes and 30 seconds.
Race organizer Trena Irving raced in the master’s women category, finishing 12 km in 45 minutes and 21 seconds.
Rounding out the results, Peter Saniford finished first in the master’s men 18-km race with a time of 52 minutes and 52 seconds. Ed Gillis was second with a time of one hour, 10 minutes and 32 seconds.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
2020 Forestry Trails Mountain Bike Race results
U5 girls six-km
1 Rylan Morris 53:05
U7 girls six-km
1 Gally Cann 35:18
U7 boys six-km
1 Rowan Evans 49:25
2 Cullen Fischer 59:10
U9 boys six-km
1 Lowell Minifie 24:50
2 Roger Luxemburger 26:13.11
3 Max Labelle 26:13.61
4 Mathis Bergeron 29:18
5 Oskar Luxemburger 29:21
6 Simon Crowe 31:40
U11 boys six-km
1 Oliver Cann 24:37
U13 girls 12-km
1 Juliet Crowe 45:04
Novice 12-km
1 Brant Lowen 34:00
DNF Gabe Coderre
U13 boys 12-km
1 Heron Land-Gillis 43:35
2 Reid Saniford 43:36
3 Alex LeBarge 44:43
4 Johna Irving-Staley 47:29
5 Sitka Land-Gillis 48:29
6 Henry Connors 50:16
U15 boys 12-km
1 Taiga Buurman 44:08
2 Trustan Boulanger 47:00
3 Drayden Fentie 47:15
4 Donte Fentie 51:45
U15 girls 12-km
1 Cassidy Lowen 50:17
U15 girls six-km
1 Jacqueline de Jager 38:45
U17 boys 18-km
1 Seth Falle 1:02:06
U17 boys 12-km
1 Nathan Boulanger
U17 girls 18-km
1 Ava Irving-Staley 1:04:49
U19 girls 18-km
1 Veronica Porter 1:08:30
Masters women 12-km
1 Trena Irving 45:21
Masters men 18-km
1 Peter Saniford 52:52
2 Ed Gillis 1:10:32