Congrats Mongoguy. This race if very difficult, I’ve raced it 4 times and it is the hardest race I’ve done, but the terrain and trails are awesome. I raced it this year on a single speed and it was the first time I did not earn a belt buckle, which is 12 hour finish. The out and back in 2019 (225 miles) was crazy…I will not do it again as it left me in a bit of dangerous place physically after the race (29 hours, 3rd).
The thing that makes it most difficult is that as you get further into the race, the trails demand more and more of your physical and mental systems that break down late in a race.
The trails get more and more technical and require more upper body strength and high force pedaling. If you can’t deliver the power…you have to walk, a lot.
Also, it is getting dark shortly after the leader finishes…it leaves many on course to deal with darkness as well as the above mentioned physical challenges. The trails are sinuous and a bit disorienting…that compounds the effect. Add in that it is actually closer to 105-115 miles, and you wonder how far from the finish you actually are…just when you are hurting most.
All this leads to the prospect of dropping out becomes very appealing. It’s like you’ve just finished the most demanding NUE race you’ve ever done…then immediately have to race XC on the most technical climbs you know.
The most fun I’ve had in the race was when I rode party pace w/ friends through mile 45, then kicked in race mode through the finish, not only is it likely the fastest way to ride this race, it left some in the tank to enjoy the great tech trails of the last 30 miles.
I lived in the Salt Lake area for 11 years, raced elite XC & Endurance there. Then I moved to Marquette, for the outdoor opportunities and smaller town, and raced the Marji my first year in the area.
It IS harder than anything I’ve raced out west. Vapor Trail may be comparable, but I’ve never raced it.
My suggestion to any Marji rider…set up a primary, secondary, and tertiary goal. It will give you reason to keep going if things don’t go as planned.