Soldotna rider Tyle Owens took the overall victory in Saturday’s Tsalteshi Gauntlet bicycle race.
Owens prevailed over a field of 33 in the three-hour endurance race that features no set course. Instead, riders are tasked with creating their own route that they believe to be the most efficient. Racers are assigned a number, then must visit every one of eight checkpoints scattered throughout the trail system and rip out the corresponding page before returning back to the race start to deliver their pages.
Owens completed four laps of the course in a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, 9 seconds, beating Tony Eskelin 2 minutes, 23 seconds. Eskelin also completed four laps, with a time of 2:57:32, and Owens grabbed seven pages on his final lap while Eskelin got six. Riders were allowed to finish their final lap without grabbing all pages, as long as they crossed the finish line under the three-hour limit.
Brian Beeson took third in 2:58:51, racing four laps and taking five pages on his final lap.
Morgan Aldridge won the women’s race in a time of 2:56:46, completing three laps and getting three pages on her final lap. Cassie Collins took second among women in 2:52:57 with three laps and one page.
Landen Showalter was the top youth rider, beating runner-up Ethan Hogue by a lap with a time of 2:56:40. Showalter completed three laps, while Hogue rode two laps in 2:50:23.
1. Tyle Owens, 2:55:09, 4 Laps, 7 Pages; 2. Tony Eskelin, 2:57:32, 4 Laps, 6 Pages; 3. Brian Beeson, 2:58:51, 4 Laps, 5 Pages; 4. Jordan Chilson, 2:55:00, 4 Laps, 3 Pages; 5. Jamie Nelson, 2:56:13, 4 Laps, 1 Page; 6. Mark Forbes, 2:56:00, 4 Laps; 7. Morgan Aldridge, 2:56:46, 3 Laps, 3 Pages; 8. Cassie Collins, 2:52:57, 3 Laps 1 Page; 9. Landen Showalter, 2:56:40, 3 Laps, 1 Page; 10. Rob Carson, 2:57:43, 3 Laps, 1 Page; 11. John Tabor, 2:57:52, 3 Laps, 1 Page; 12. Jen Tabor, 2:57:52, 3 Laps, 1 Page; 13. Dave Edwards Smith, 2:58:23, 3 Laps, 1 Page; 14. Jen Showalter, 2:51:30, 3 Laps; 15. Ethan Hogue, 2:50:23, 2 Laps, 3 Pages; 15. Robert Carson, 2:50:23, 2 Laps, 3 Pages; 17. Patty Moran, 2:57:10, 2 Laps, 3 Pages; 17. Kelly Sederholm, 2:57:10, 2 Laps, 3 Pages; 17. Jane Adkins, 2:57:10, 2 Laps, 3 Pages; 27. Cindy Miller, 2:57:10, 2 Laps, 3 Pages; 21. Madison McDonald, 2:59:26, 2 Laps, 2 Pages; 22. Jeff McDonald, 2:55:40, 2 Laps, 1 Page; 22. Dana McDonald, 2:55:40, 2 Laps, 1 Page; 24. Tristan Davis, 2:55:45, 2 Laps, 1 Page; 24. John Davis, 2:55:45, 2 Laps, 1 Page; 24. Tanner Furlong, 2:55:45, 2 Laps, 1 Page; 27. Darryl Kincaid, 2:20:26, 2 Laps; 28. Alicia Driscoll, 2:58:11, 2 Laps; 29. Lauri Lingafelt, 2:51:28, 1 Lap, 4 Pages; 29. Sandi Crawford, 2:51:28, 1 Lap, 4 Pages; 31. Jon Iannoccone, 2:56:30, 1 Lap, 1 Page (Hidden Book Cheese Winner); 32. Carl Kincaid, 1:38:57, 5 Pages; 33. Jared Kincaid, 1:38:57, 5 Pages.
