It was chilly when 511 riders stood still early morning at the start of their Tuffest or Tuffer race with start and finish in Mammoth Lakes, California.
The elites and age group up until 49 had a 89 miles course going completely east for 7500 ft of elevation. Older categories had a shorter 67 miles course to qualify.
24-year-old Caleb Bottcher from New Zealand got the overall elite men victory in an average speed of 19.9 miles/hr (32 km/h) on the rough terrain on high altitude. 27-year-old Lance Haidet finished as second 24 seconds down to Bottcher with his compatriot Darren Fahy finishing as third at 2m45 from the winner.
In the women elite, the win was for 35-year-old Jennifer Tave in an average speed of 16.7 miles/hr (26.9 km/h). She won with an impressive lead of 25 minutes to 47-year-old Rachel McBride from Canada with 27-year-old Sofia Schugar as third just behind McBride.
