The 2024 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships were held at Chewacla State Park on Saturday, June 15.
It was a battle for gold in the Elite Women’s field, with the top two finishers, Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles SRAM) and Hannah Otto (Millcreek, Utah; Pivot Cycles/DT Swiss), crossing the line just inches apart, completing the race in 3:55:50. Ultimately, defending National Champion Skarda took first place. In the Elite Men’s field, Carson Beckett (Brevard, N.C.; Dirt Camp Racing) earned gold with a time of 3:24:58.
Twenty-six other National Champions climbed atop the podium on Saturday evening, including Ezra Caudell (Acworth, Ga.; Gravity Collective) in 17-18 Junior Men’s, Ingrid McElroy (Danville, Pa.; Bear National Team) in the 17-18 Junior Women’s, Samantha Campbell (Austin, Texas; Colorado Mesa University) in the 19-29 Amateur Women’s, Kash Steele (Agua Dulce, Calif.; Bigwheel Coaching) in the 19-29 Amateur Men’s, Katja Opfer (Rochester, Mich,; ATHLETIC MENTORS) in the 15-16 Junior Women’s, Kaison Smith (Canton, Ga.; Mission Development) in the 15-16 Junior Men’s, Rachel Melilli (Bentonville, Ark.; Specialized Project 74 / Team Momentus) in the 30-34 Master Women’s, Jacob Zimmerman (Palm City, Fla,; Z Boys) in the 30-34 Master Men’s, Ashley Green (Bella Vista, Ark,; BettySquad Elite Racing Team) in the 35-39 Master Women’s, Matthew Dockins (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) in the 35-39 Master Men’s, Amy Talbot (Gainesville, Fla.; Endura) in the 40-44 Master Women’s, Seth Zaluski (Boynton Beach, Fla.) in the 40-44 Master Men’s, Kristen Smith (San Clemente, Calif,; Team BagHouse) in the 45-49 Master Women’s, Joseph Dabbs (Homewood, Ala.; Dirt Camp Racing) in the 45-49 Master Men’s, Allyson Sepp (St. George, Utah; Artemisia Cycling) in the 50-54 Master Women’s, Bob McCarty (Cooper City, Fla.; Alex's Bicycle Pro Shop McCarty Training) in the 50-54 Master Men’s, Mara Fronhofer (Moreau, N.Y.; Ghost Bicycles) in the 55-59 Master Women’s, Timothy Zimmerman (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Z-Boyz Racing) in the 55-59 Master Men’s, Jackie Cohen (Brevard, N.C.; Dirt Camp Racing) in the 60-64 Master Women’s, Samuel Morse (Cohasset, Mass.; Corner Cycle/FinKraft) in the 60-64 Master Men’s, Maureen Sanderson (Nashville, Tenn.) in the 65-69 Master Women’s, David Waltz (Waban, Mass.; 545 Velo) in the 65-69 Master Men’s, Wayne Gorry (Clemson, S.C.; Hammer Nutrition) in the 70-74 Master Men’s, Stan Ford (Temecula, Calif.; The Bike Shop) in the 75-79 Master Men’s, Ariana Khu (Little Rock, Ark.) in the Singlespeed Women’s, and Ryan Stahnke (Newark, Del.; Trestle Bridge Racing) in the Singlespeed Men’s race.
Photos By: Tyler Phillips
Full results from Saturday’s events can be found here.
