News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By Jason Ryll

The 3rd annual Pedal by the Puddle mountain bike enduro race took place over the weekend in the Lakecity. The Williams Lake Cycling club held their event all-day Sunday and attracted riders from Prince George, Quesnel, Kamloops, Jasper and many other places from around BC. This year the local event had 131 registered riders, which is more than any other previous years, meaning the event is growing quickly.

The growth in the event was evident by the inclusion of 2 new races to accommodate junior riders and beginners. There was a mini-kids race around the Gun-A-Noot airstrip infield and also a junior riders 2km course to go along with the senior riders 10km course. The addition of these 2 categories helped drive up attendance for the event and also helped make the event more family friendly with support and encouragement from other riders and fans of the event.

The WL Cycling has been holding the event in June for the past 3 years and has seen steady growth and popularity. With the race date coinciding with another enduro style race in the lower mainland, the Pedal By the Puddle race attracts many of the racers who are unable to register for the lower mainland event. Combined with that the attraction of the world-class trails that are prevalent around Williams Lake, organizers are predicting steady growth in the years to come.

1/7 

   

An “enduro” style race, like the Pedal By the Puddle, is measured by time instead of distance, or pitting riders against each other. A rider, or team of two riders, competes against the clock to see how many laps of the course the can complete within a 6-hour time limit. In the team category, riders may switch off with their teammate to allow for rest between laps. Solo riders race solely against the clock to try and complete as many laps as they can. Riders find this style of event creates less competition between senior and junior skill level riders and instead, creates an environment that fosters growth and support for all skill levels.

Results for the 2010 event include leaders in many different combined age categories and full results of this year’s race can be found at http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?id=3050. Information is forthcoming on the 2011 event as organizers take some time to debrief following this year’s race and they encourage everyone to follow them online at http://pedalbythepuddle.ca.

| More...