This season has, without question, been the best-ever for 22-year-old cyclocross phenom Lizzy Gunsalus (CCB p/b Levine Law Group). In early November, she won the elite women’s Pan American Cyclocross Championship title in Washington, DC – adding to the U23 Pan Am title she won in 2022. Out of seven races she entered in the 2025 USA Cycling CX National Series, Gunsalus has won five.
The Dudley, Massachusetts native has done all this while finishing a five-year program to earn two bachelor’s degrees: one in mechanical engineering from Purdue, and the second in chemistry from Marian University.
“I’m surprising myself and my team,” admits Gunsalus, who also competes for the Marian University squad. “I put a lot of work in this summer and that translated well to cross season. I didn’t do an internship so that freed up 30 hours a week for me to travel, train and race.”
At age 5, Gunsalus and her older brother Greg were introduced to BMX by their dad, who raced road and MTB. (Her twin Tina became a Division One runner). “I really loved to ride and developed skills by racing BMX,” she says. Lizzy started riding cross at age 8 and a year later jumped into the thriving New England CX race scene.
Her first big success came at age 11, when she won the 11-12 CX National Championship title in Austin, TX. “There was crazy, record-breaking rain and it was super muddy, but I loved riding in the mud,” she recalls.
Gunsalus honed her skills competing in Europe as a junior with USA Cycling in 2019. She and Madigan Munro raced with elite and junior women. “I had no idea how I’d stack up and it turned out that Maddy and I had the skillset to compete with the best ever in the world.”
Two years ago Lizzy won the U23 Women’s CX National Championship title, and this year she’s aiming to win the elite women’s title at the 2025 Cyclocross National Championships Presented by The Meteor, December 10-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The online registration deadline is December 3.
Hundreds of athletes from around the country will compete in categories from junior and collegiate to masters up to 85+. Kathy Johnson, 65, is aiming for her first CX podium.
“I’ve been on the podium at several cross country and marathon MTB nationals, and even made it on the podium the one time we went to Fat Bike MTB Nationals, but never at CX nationals,” she says. “It’s on my bucket list.”
This will be the Dallas resident’s third CX nationals.
“I keep thinking as I get older there are less ladies out there, but the ones out there are in really good shape, and I’m still chasing them,” she says.
Johnson started mountain biking in the mid-90s with her husband, after the two raced motocross in their late 20s. “We fell in love with mountain biking and got really involved with the local Dallas MTB scene,” she says. CX came on their radar about a dozen years ago, when their son discovered cross in college.
“Done right, it’s the most painful party you’ll ever have on a bike,” says Johnson. “The atmosphere at a cross race is so much fun. You’re pushing yourself hard, then you have people cheering and heckling and trying to hand you a beer or eat bacon. It’s a great community and for me that’s appealing.” “I’m a kid at heart and the body may not do what it used to do, but in my head I’m still a kid and I have a blast riding and playing on my bike.”
Lizzy’s Tips for CX Nationals:
It’s a very fast rolling course, so speed work is super important. When I have the opportunity in training, I’ll add some motor pacing to get some high-speed work in to simulate that high cadence.
Practice stairs and running with your bike.
Make sure that your equipment is as ready as it can be for all potential weather, including snow, ice and mud.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Nationals is the pinnacle of your season and having all the pros there and top-ranked masters and juniors and your peers is unique and hard. Take the opportunity to watch the lines the pros take on the course when you pre-ride with them. Talk to them at the expo. For elite riders, it’s really inspiring to meet the younger riders. I love that aspect of the race.
Remind yourself about all the work you’ve put in, and don’t compare yourself to others. If you have the mentality that you ‘should have done this’ or ‘should have done that’ you’re defeated before you start!
Reflect after the event, not before. Your task is to perform to the best of your ability. Don’t wish that you had packed a few more tools in your toolbox!
One thing I tell myself when I’m hurting, whether I just attacked or an attack just happened, is ‘they’re hurting just as much or more than I am.’
How bad do you want it? Everyone wants the title, and it’s a matter of how hard can you push your physical, mental and emotional limits.
Lizzy’s Advice for Anyone Interested in Trying CX:
It’s rare that you find a community that’s so special and spectator-friendly.
Young athletes and families can be on the course and in the pit, and it’s fun to see all the levels of racing in one day. In my junior days, my favorite part was racing in the morning, then hanging around the venue all day to see the pros race. It’s very inspiring!
I love that CX challenges you in different ways all the time. Course conditions are always changing, and you’re constantly learning new skills.
CX translates well to other disciplines. Especially for younger riders, it’s a great way to learn bike handling at slower speeds, and that translates to MTB and road. Learning how to mount and dismount and learning which gears you need translates well to other riding disciplines.
The 2025 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships p/b The Meteor will take place 12/10-12/14 in Fayetteville, AR. For more information, visit https://cxnats.usacycling.org/.
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Gear up for your own Road to Nationals and find out if you’re eligible to compete in this year’s National Championships!
