The first race in the B.C. Cup series for cross-country mountain biking kicked off in Roberts Creek last weekend with the eighth annual Rat Race.
The event drew in hundreds of riders and spectators from around B.C. as well as Washington State.
"It's the best, well-attended B.C. cup in years, definitely in the way of numbers. B.C. Cups are usually an average of 110 people. We're at about 180 today," said Tanya Camposano, one of the race organizers. "People love the courses up here. They love the trails. People just love riding the Sunshine Coast so they come from all over."
Tanya and her husband Rod have organized the race seven of the last eight years.
This year's Rat Race broke from the typical marathon tradition in favour of a circuit race through the woods with an entrance and exit loop and final finish line sprint. The number of laps through the woods depended on which class the riders were racing in.
Riders emerged from the woods with faces spackled in mud, bloodied shins and clenched teeth as they sprinted through a shallow stream and onto the finish line at the outdoor riding arena provided by the Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club.
Though Rod said there were few injuries over the weekend, one rider crossed the finish line with his bicycle shorts torn nearly in half.
Tanya said there is still too much snow on the marathon track to hold races, but the new layout proved to be incredibly popular with racers due to its fast nature and emphasis on fun.
"It's a lot of single track, non-technical, a little bit muddy in one section, but otherwise, it's quite fast," Tanya said.
The track also had a series of small, narrow ramps riders had to negotiate. Another highlight for the riders was being able to ride downhill through the "pumpkin patch," a steep hill riders are used to having to climb.
Though local riders only made up about 10 per cent of the total sign-ins, they made their presence known at the finish line and on the podium, bringing in five first-place finishes and 13 finalists in the top five in their class. See the sports ticker on page B16 for full local results.
Sadly though, this will be the last year for Rod and Tanya to organize the race.
"It was to get some time back for ourselves. We've been doing it for a long time and we don't get much of a spring," Rod said.
Though no one has stepped up to take on the race for future seasons, Rod and Tanya both said they would like to see the race go on because of the rewards it brings the organizers, sponsors and racers.
"When we hear the feedback from the people on how good it was, that's what its all about. Its so we can give people a good race and bring people out to the Coast and have a good time," Rod said.
The two also have been forced to cancel the marathon race typically held each August due to the pull-out of the event's usual major sponsors.
