RACE #3 POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBD
Welcome to the first-ever NTN Town Mountain Bike Series!— a celebration of the trails and two-wheeled machines that make the greater Marquette area a premier riding destination. This four-race grassroots series highlights our unique terrain and trails, mixing friendly competition with local flavor. Join us for one, join in for all. Open to all ages as well as Class 1 e-bikes. No charge for pre-registered NTN members ($5 day of), $10 donation for others (Donation bucket at Check-In). Whether you’re racing all four or dropping in for one, the Mountain Bike Town Series brings the community together to ride hard or easy, smile, enjoy time together and celebrate our trails. No age limit for races but riders should be able to comfortably navigate typical XC terrain. Class 1 e-bikes welcome. Hand timing with results posted online after the event. No awards, just high fives and good vibes. Take it serious, use it for practice, or come out for a casual ride with friends.
Race #1: Forestville Friday, Forestville Trailhead: See Results
Race #2, Bay Shuffle, Powell Township Recreation Area See Results: See Results
Race #3, Thursday August 7: Benson Luck of the Draw – NTN South Trails (Benson Area)
This one’s a wild card! Riders pull a card for trail selection from the top of Benson at the famed South Trails. Skill, speed, endurance and a little luck all come into play. Here's how this one is going to work. All racers will gather in a staging (go) area at the base of the Benson climb (across from South Trailhead near Eh Line exit). At go (6:30pm), racers will climb up Benson Climb and draw a card with one of three trail names from a volunteer. Riders will complete whatever is drawn in the order drawn. The trick is, you must draw the right cards to complete a run on each of 3 trails (Eh Line, Dogger to RR grade, and Flow). So after each run you complete, you will climb back up to draw another card. If you don't draw the next of 3 trails, you do a half run on Eh Line then climb back up to draw again. Repeat until you draw your next trail. If you are lucky, you could finish with three climbs up Benson or you may do your first run and lots of half laps of Eh Line! When you draw and finish riding all three trails, your race/ride is complete and you will tag out at the staging area at the bottom of Benson when completing your third trail for your finish place. If you are not geeked on Flow Trail or want to opt for a potentially shorter and less technical ride, we are including a two-trail option (Eh Line and Dogger) but "penalty" laps on upper Eh Line apply if you don't draw the right card. This should be fun! Note: Racers will have until 8:15 to start the final trail.
Race 4: Friday, September 12: Old School Send-Off – Raging River Campground
We’re closing out the series with a blast from the past! Get ready for a wild course winding through the Raging River Campground trails, featuring a splash of vintage MTB chaos. More details to come. Book a campsite and turn it into a full fall weekend you won’t forget!