A new format led to drama and excitement in the 2017 edition of Psychocross, a mountain bike race Saturday at Tsalteshi Trails.

Tony Eskelin took the men’s race by a hair, while Ashley Tonione won the women’s race and Dylan Hogue and Landen Showalter were the top youth riders.

Drawing inspiration from The Barkley Marathons, an ultramarathon trail race held at Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee, Psychocross this year had no set course.

There were seven checkpoints, and riders could hit the checkpoints in any order, using any trail they pleased with the exception of some rules for safety. There was a book at each checkpoint.

Riders tore out the page number corresponding to their race number and brought all seven pages to race director Mark Beeson, playing the role of Barkley designer Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell, though Beeson did signal one hour until race time by blowing a conch, nor did he officially start the race by lighting a cigarette.

Racers had 2.5 hours to complete as many laps and pages as possible, getting a new race number with each lap.

Eskelin won the race by getting five laps and one page, hitting the finish line with just 10 seconds to spare. Runner-up Mike Crawford was not so lucky. Crawford finished five laps in 2 hours, 12 minutes, then headed out for more pages. He was storming back to the finish line with more than enough pages to win the race when time expired, meaning he got credit for just the five laps. Those extra pages were only good for throwing up in the air when he was announced as the runner-up. Brian Beeson was third, completing five laps in 2:25.

Tonione won the women’s race with three laps and three pages in 2:23, also tied for 10th overall. Jen Showalter was second with three laps and a page in 2:16, while Jen Tabor was third with three laps and a page in 2:24.

Hogue got two laps and two pages in 2:18 to top all youth racers, while Landen Showalter was right on his heels, getting two laps and two pages in 2:18. Ollie Dahl was third with two laps and a page in 2:22.

In the true spirt of mixing The Barkley Marathons with Psychocross, Jordan Chilson was the top runner, getting two laps and two pages in 2:26. Chilson started on the bike but had a mechanical issue, so he slipped off his cycling shoes and ran around getting his pages barefoot.

Psychocross

Saturday at Tsalteshi Trails

1. Tony Eskelin – 5 Laps + 1 Page – 2:29:50; 2. Mike Crawford – 5 Laps – 2:12; 3. Brian Beeson – 5 Laps – 2:25; 4. Nathan Kincaid – 4 Laps + 6 Pages – 2:27; 5. Tyle Owens – 4 Laps + 1 Page – 2:21; 6. Jamie Nelson – 4 Laps + 1 Page – 2:26; 7. Matt Dura – 4 Laps – 2:10; 8. Mark Forbes – 4 Laps – 2:28; 9. Eric Thomason – 3 Laps + 5 – 1:59; 10 (tie). Ashley Tonione – 3 Laps + 3 – 2:23 (1st place woman); Will Morrow; 12. Ryan Nelson – 3 Laps + 2 – 2:11; 13 (tie). Jen Showalter – 3 Laps + 1 – 2:16 (2nd place woman); James Showalter; 15 (tie). Jen Tabor – 3 Laps + 1 -2:24 (3rd place woman); Jon Tabor; Dave Edwards-Smith; 19. Rob Carson – 3 Laps + 1 – 2:26; 20 (tie). Dylan Hogue, Landen Showalter – 2 Laps + 2 – 2:18 (1st place youth); 22 (tie). Carl Kincaid, Morgan Aldridge – 2 Laps + 2 – 2:19; 24. Elizabeth Earl – 2 Laps + 2 – 2:23; 25. Jordan Chilson – 2 Laps + 2 – 2:26 (1st place runner).

26 (tie). Ollie Dahl – 2 Laps + 1 – 2:22 (3rd place youth); Tor Dahl; 28. Madison McDonald – 2 Laps – 2:18; 29. Peter DiCarlo – 2 Laps – 1:58; 30 (tie). Michelle Thomason, Dana McDonald – 2 Laps – 2:19; 32 (tie). Ethan Hogue, Robert Carson – 1 Lap + 2 – 2:06; 34. Nicholas Tallman – 1 Lap – 1:33.