The 2024 UCI Marathon Mountain Bike World Championships came to the United States for the first time this weekend, with the races held in West Virginia. Over 100 racers lined up at Snowshoe Mountain Resort to tackle 65 miles of dirt roads and technical singletrack, climbing more than 6,000 feet. Americans are familiar with the magic of Snowshoe, as several marquee events have been held at the mountain resort in West Virginia – including the U.S. MTB National Championships, Cross-Country Mountain Bike World Cups, and now the Marathon MTB World Championships.
Elite Men
Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) was one of the top names on the start list, joining several other XCO superstars from around the world. Since Blevins did not have Marathon Mountain Bike UCI points, he unfortunately had a poor call-up to the line. With 84 starters, Blevins and fellow XCO racer Simon Andreassen (DEN) began at the very back of the pack. However, with 68 miles of racing ahead, there was time for them to work their way to the front.
By the first checkpoint at 32 miles, Blevins had moved up to a group of about 15 riders, two hours into the race. Victor Koretzky (FRA) was leading with a small gap ahead of the chase group. Two more hours into the race at the second checkpoint, 57 miles in, Blevins remained strong at the front alongside Andreassen, Koretzky, and a group of about seven other riders. After 4.5 hours of racing, Andreassen launched an attack, entering the village solo to claim the World Title. Blevins, just 10 seconds behind, battled with David Valero Serrano (ESP) and ultimately out-sprinted him to secure the silver medal with a time of 4:33.18.
Cole Paton (Durango, Colo.; Giant Bicycles) was the next placing American finishing in a time of 4:37.42 to round out the top ten.
1. Simon Andreassen (DEN)
2. Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing)
3. David Valero Serrano (ESP)
9. Cole Paton (Durango, Colo.; Giant Bicycles)
26. Bradyn Lange (Fairfax, Calif.; Scott Bicycles)
31. Zachary Calton (Ogden, Utah; Yeti/ Shimano)
35. Alex Wild (San Jose, Calif.; DNA Cycling)
48. Carson Beckett (Brevard, N.C.; Dirt Camp Racing)
50. Griffin Hoppin (Mill Valley, Calif.; Flow Formulas)
51. Danny Van Wagoner (Fruit Heights, Utah; DNA Cycling)
59. Christopher Mehlman (Manchester, Mass.; Pivot Cycles)
60. Noah Warren (Birmingham, Ala.)
61. Jerry Dufour (Birmingham, Ala.; Dirt Camp Racing)
64. Eli Kranefuss (Mill Valley, Calif.; Dirt Camp Devo)
65. Gordon Wadsworth (Shawsville, Va.; Revel Bikes)
66. Ryan Johnson (Brookville, Penn.; Dirt Camp Racing)
68. Cory Peterson (Annapolis, Md.)
74. Maxwell Abner (Greenville, S.C.)
75. Jonas Woodruff (Redlands, Calif.; Trek Race Shop)
76. Mark Kransz (Cave Springs, Va.; Broken Spoke Bike Studio)
77. Levi Cole (Auburn, Ala.)
Forty-five women lined up to battle the relentless roots, rocks, and punchy climbs of Snowshoe. Hannah Otto (Millcreek, Utah; Pivot Cycles/DT Swiss) had the best call-up among the Americans after securing a podium result in the Marathon Mountain Bike World Cup earlier this year. Her second-row start gave her an advantage heading into the woods, but with a long race ahead, it was still anyone’s game. Paris 2024 Olympian Haley Batten (Santa Cruz, Calif.; Specialized Factory Racing) started at the back of the pack, but like Blevins, had time to work her way up through the field.
By the first checkpoint at 31 miles, a lead group of about five riders had formed, with Batten not far behind. Marathon Mountain Bike National Champion Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles) was with a few riders in the next group back. Crystal Anthony (Bentonville, Ark.; Liv Racing Collective) and Otto were sitting comfortably in the top 20 at this point as well.
At 57 miles, the top three riders — Mona Mitterwallner (AUT), Sina Frei (SUI), and Candice Lill (RSA) — had a sizeable gap as they fought for the podium. By this time, Batten had crashed and decided not to finish the race. Skarda continued to battle within a group for a top-10 finish, ultimately placing ninth with a time of 5:36.07. Otto finished 16th, Anthony 17th, and the final American, Britt Mason (Ellicott City, Md.; Salsa Cycles), finished 29th.
1. Mona Mitterwallner (AUT)
2. Sina Frei (SUI)
3. Candice Lill (RSA)
9. Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles)
16. Hannah Otto (Millcreek, Utah; Pivot Cycles/DT Swiss)
17. Crystal Anthony (Bentonville, Ark.; Liv Racing Collective)
29. Britt Mason (Ellicott City, Md.; Salsa Cycles)
