2009 USA Marathon National Championships

Fireworks likely in Marathon National Championships
By Dave McElwaine in Breckenridge, Colorado

Over 750 racers will compete in the ninth edition of the Firecracker 50 this coming July 4th. Among them will be many professionals and amateurs attempting to win twelve national championship marathon jerseys. These will include defending champions Jeremiah Bishop (Mona Vie/Cannondale) and adventure racer Sari Anderson.
Racers will ride two laps of a rugged 25 mile course that takes place in the back country high above Breckenridge. Starting on Main Street at an elevation of about 9,600 feet, riders will climb above the tree line to nearly 12,000 feet. There is an estimated 5,400 feet of climbing per lap. The rocky course includes switchback climbs, singletrack, and some steep high speed descents back into town.
Unlike many of the original Marathon Championships that were competed at 100 kilometers/62 miles, the 50 mile distance of the Firecracker race has opened the door for some of the cross country racers who do typically race-2 ½ hours. The Firecracker is expected to take less than 4 hours so it may be a better fit for those racers than the ultra-endurance crowd that is more comfortable with longer efforts.
This year’s Marathon Championships appears to have the deepest field yet, both on the men’s and women’s side.
Jeremiah Bishop has been training at altitude ever since the Pro XCT race in Colorado Springs. Most recently he has been riding in the Park City where Cannondale was introducing some new products. When asked about the Firecracker race ,he replied “I pre-rode the course and it is awesome!!!”
Bishop has had one of his most satisfying season’s as a pro. His new team is allowing him to pick and choose races that he actually wants to do. This has resulted in several wins including the Mohican 100 and Dirt, Sweat, n’ Gears. He will also race in the Breck Epic Stage Race which begins the day after the Firecracker 50.
Bishop is expected to be challenged by a number of riders including Boulder’s Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Gary Fisher/Subaru) who recently won the Teva Games. In head-to-head matchups this season, JHK has had more speed than Bishop, albeit these races were contested at shorter distances. Horgan-Kobelski has been in his home state of Colorado for a month now due to an uncharacteristic break in the world cup schedule combined with the fact that the last Pro XCT race was held in Colorado Springs. He should be well rested and will be going for the win.
Also contending for the title will be the 2007 winner Jay Henry, Dave Wiens (Ergon), and Harlan Price (Independent Fabrications), and world cup racer Mike Broderick (Kenda-Seven-No Tubes). Ross Schnell, who excels in these mountainous epics, is expected to miss the race due to an injury.
At this writing, Todd Wells was unsure if he was going to race. Obviously, if he chooses to do so it will dramatically change the front of the pace. JHK, Bishop, and Wells are all capable of riding a world cup cross country pace and are likely to do so. The best hope for the endurance guys with less top end speed is to wear the leaders down. The big question….is 50 miles long enough for this to happen?
As all of these racers know, a lot can happen out in the back country. Last year’s event saw many mechanicals and crashes that resulted in lead changes. Things got so crazy on the final lap that Bishop rode across the finish line unsure he had actually won the race.
On the women’s side, Heather Irmiger (Gary Fisher/Subaru) has emerged as the pre-race favorite. She has raced the full World Cup schedule so far, lives at altitude, and has posted some impressive results in the USA, including the short track win at the Colorado Springs Pro XCT.
“I am really excited for the Firecracker 50-I’ve wanted to do it for years but it’s always conflicted with another major race or has been too close for ideal training” commented Irmiger. She added “Breckenridge has amazing riding and I’m really looking forward to racing and tuning up for the second half of the season.”
Sari Anderson, the defending champion, knows she has her work cut out for her this year. “This year’s Firecracker is stacked with competition from Mary McConneloug, Heather Irmiger, Pua Sawicki, Gretchen Reeves (two time winner), and many more” said Anderson.
“I have been focusing more on multi-sport racing, X-Terra, and adventure racing…but I’m looking forward to enjoying an awesome course and fun race.”
U.S.A. cross country champion and Olympian Mary McConneloug (Kenda-Seven-No Tubes) will be using the Firecracker 50 to help prepare for the U.S.A. National Championships in Granby, Colorado on July 18th. Until this week, McConneloug has been living at sea level in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, but will now stay at altitude for several weeks to acclimate.
“Mike (Broderick) and I are excited for the opportunity to race the Marathon National Championships. This is the first year it fits nicely into our race calendar” said McConneloug. She added “The timing and location of the event seem to be about right for acclimating to the high elevation for racing the XC National Championships.”
Pua Sawaicki (Ellsworth) also figures to be a threat to win the race. While she always does well in the longer races, this year she has added to power and speed to her repertoire by competing in the full U.S. Cup Pro XCT schedule. She has become a regular on the cross country podiums and is challenging some of the top cross country racers in the sport.
The Firecracker 50 also includes a relay race where two racers each do one lap. U.S.A. Cyclocross Champion and Short Track Champion Katie Compton will team up with Kelli Emmett (Giant) to compete in this format with Emmett riding the anchor leg. It is hard imagine who can challenge them unless there are mechanicals or other mishaps.
Breckenridge was founded in 1859 during the mid 19th century rush to settle the west. The discovery of gold brought miners to participate in the “Blue River digging”. However, as a result of the civil war and difficulty in finding new gold, the population of Breckenridge plummeted to 51 persons by 1870. The closest it came to becoming a ghost town was in 1936 when it was dropped from the map of the United States.
In 1961, a lumber company opened the Breckinridge Ski area and a new boom era began that continues today.