Ladysmith cyclists Michelle Steel and Shawn O’Toole navigated their way to a second place team finish during the Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR), held September 24 in Cumberland.
According to organizers, the North Island terrain provided a great challenge for racers despite perfect racing weather conditions.
“Many racers got lost between checkpoints three and four by running past one of the turns,” says MOMAR Race Director, Bryan Tasaka. “Some teams were lost for up to two hours in the dense coastal forest, but those racers all made it out on their own and sure have some great stories to tell.”
Steel and O’Toole’s team, Where’s My Sherpa, placed second in the team of two, coed category for the 50 km Enduro Course. They finished with a time of 5:59:40, placing twelfth overall.
Winning his ninth MOMAR title, Todd Nowack of Brentwood Bay came in first overall for the Enduro Course, crossing the finish line at 4:52:02. Along with others, Nowack spent about 20 minutes bushwhacking off the map, but managed to come out on top.
Courtenay’s Genevieve Burdett was the first solo female racer to cross the finish line at 5:29:36, finishing an impressive fourth overall.
With both the Enduro and Sport Courses combined, there was a total of 275 racers at the start line. Race stages included kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, bushwhacking and orienteering through 27 checkpoints on Comox Lake and Cumberland trails. Participants came from all across Canada and the USA, and from as far away as Spain.
Over $3400 was raised by MOMAR this year for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, bringing the combined total to over $20,500.
-Submitted
