If top mountain bikers were to race top runners up to the top of Mt. Wilson in Pasadena, CA, who would likely win?
The course, Old Mount Wilson Toll Road, is a fairly consistent grade, 4500ft in 9 miles.
I'm thinking of organizing such a race and offering about 2 grand in prize money. 1K for first person to the top, 300 for 2nd, 300 for first runner, 300 for first biker. So, first person to top is guarenteed 1300.
I should mention that I am a middle pack runner and have timed myself to Henniger Flats. First, I rode as if racing, to the very top of Wilson, timing a split to Henniger at 28 minutes. Total time to the top was about an hour forty. Then, after descending, I tossed on the shoes and ran as if racing, to Henninger. My bike split was about 40 seconds faster. I don't know if this is a fair test or not but was as far as I wanted to take it that day.
I love the idea of this race though. The logistics would be a tad tricky but nothing impossible.
Define middle of the pack runner. 33's, 35's, or 40's for 10K?
With $1K for first, I would say the runner. I consider my self to better a little than average, and I've never been passed by a mountain biker, even on grades less than Old Wilson Toll Road.
I am a 38min 10K'er
Have you ever run Wilson Toll road? If so, what is your best time? I have known very good bikers to complete the climb in 1:28.
Sounds like a cool idea. The best bikers would probably beat the best runners. They have running and cycling races up Mt. Washington (NH) on seperate days, and the cycling course record is several minutes faster than the running course record. Mt. Washington rises 4600' over 7.6 miles.
I have run the Mt. Washington race a few times. Mt. Washington is mostly paved with gravel sections above treeline. The conditions for the bike race this year were almost exactly the same as the cycling race. I finished 10th in the running race and my time from that race would have put me in 13th in the bike race. I think mountain biking would be slower than trail running though, unless you get some world class mountain bikers. It would be an interesting race. Send me an e-mail if you decide to put on this race. I might be interested.
running up a rocky hill, is hella lot easier thean biking up a rocky hill.
Going down is faster on the bike, but you can't go all out or you will eat the dirt.
Biking is allot more technical and there is a larger learning curve. I am decent runner and am horrible on the bike and my non runner freind can kick my ass, even though my lungs and legs are in much better shape.
I'll save a link to this thread and include all on the email list should I pull it off.
Any suggestions for a name for the race?
Mail to:
Kamikaze wrote:
running up a rocky hill, is hella lot easier thean biking up a rocky hill.
Going down is faster on the bike, but you can't go all out or you will eat the dirt.
Biking is allot more technical and there is a larger learning curve. I am decent runner and am horrible on the bike and my non runner freind can kick my ass, even though my lungs and legs are in much better shape.
The race would be one-way, UP. The course is a dirt road that climbs 4500 feet in 9 miles. The grading is fair, with some portions very hard packed and some sections with loose gravel and stone. The morning weather is typically cool in October with very hot and dry afternoon conditions possible.
For bikers, they would not be allowed to return down the Toll Road during the race. They would need to take Mt. Lowe Railway or other alternate.
Runners would park at the top and take shuttle busses to the start in Altadena for a 7:30am start. Bikers would park near Eaton Canyon park and ride to the start located just past the Eaton Canyon bridge at the start of the Toll road.
What do you think wrote:
I am a 38min 10K'er
Have you ever run Wilson Toll road? If so, what is your best time? I have known very good bikers to complete the climb in 1:28.
Yes, I've run it. Twice. Once in high school and another time in 91/92. These were training runs, so I have no idea what my best time was. Started at the Eaton Canyon Wilderness area.
In high school, I did the toll road until you could catch the Mt. Wilson Trail, and took the trail back down. The second time I ran up until the road got very rocky. I want to say the timeberline, but I don't think the Mt. Wilson is that tall, but I do remember that there no trees around, probably due to the rocky terrain. I think that trip (up and down back to Eaton Canyon Wilderness area) took about 1:50, so I am not sure how far I was from the top. Was trying for a two hour run and came up shy.
When I was in high school, I used to train with a guy who would always place pretty high at Pikes Peak Marathon, so we were always running up some some mountain.
Have you done the Baldy Run to the Top? I did that once in high school and then again in '03.
Holland Nass wrote:
Have you done the Baldy Run to the Top? I did that once in high school and then again in '03.
No, never ran Baldy but have hiked it. The Baldy race would be a great warmup for the Wilson race.
I think it is a great idea.
There was a trail I used to run through the summer in training for cross in Utah. It was used heavily by Mt. Bikers and for some reason they would get really pissed when I'd pass them. It was funny. I think it surprised them that they were on bikes but a runner could out-do them on the climb. There were a few guys that I would see quite often and every time they'd time themselves to the top and try to compare to what I would do and I'd always be a good 30sec to a minute ahead of them on a 30-40 min run to the turn around point. A race would be a good challenge to bikers and runners alike.
What do you think wrote:
No, never ran Baldy but have hiked it. The Baldy race would be a great warmup for the Wilson race.
Maybe it's the years gone by, but by my recollection, Baldy is tougher than the Toll road.