Get Phat with Pat Race Recap

For those of you that didn't make it to the Get Phat with Pat fatbike race at the Minnesota River Bottoms on Saturday, you missed out on a great time on a challenging course.  Participants showed up ready with all makes of bikes, the majority of which were fatbikes, there were some mountain bikes with studs and even a cyclocross bike or two.

The races started off at 10:00 am with the recreational class followed by the beginner class at 10:15.  The feature of the event was the advanced class race that took riders on two laps of the 9.5 mile course through hilly woods scattered with downed timber, ice covered singletrack, marsh and across standing water covered creek ice.

Participants and spectators stayed warm by the fire while waiting for their race to start or to watch the riders as they came across the finish line.

It was a time for riders to check out each others bikes, discuss components & other bike tech talk and see the new offerings from 9:Zero:7 like the "Beargrease Killer", a special edition fatbike that weighs in at 27 pounds.

The beginner race was won by Bonnie Moebeck of Lakeville for the women and Matthew Nelson of Eden Prairie for the men.

The recreational race was won by Trent Stewart of Eagan.  Second place was taken by Mitch Hoffman of West St. Paul.

At noon it was time for the start of the advanced class race.  Thirty two riders were entered for the big race of the day.  By now the weather had warmed up a little above freezing and the ice and snow on the course was beginning to melt making some stretches a bit muddy.

After some brief instructions for the riders, Pat Sorensen fired the starter pistol and the race was on.

Just under an hour and a half into the race the frontrunners began to cross the finish line.  Charly Tri of Rochester took first place with flair as he bunny-hopped his fatbike over the cones at the finish line.

Second place went to Jeff Young of Monticello who was only about 45 seconds behind the leader.

Barry Tungseth of Stillwater took third place with just under four and a half minutes behind the second place finisher.

For the women in the advanced race, first place went to Chris Kane of Minneapolis.

 

Second place for the women was taken by Alana Fritz of Bloomington.

Pat drew from contestant entries for the great array of prizes that were to be handed out.  The grand prize was a 9:Zero:7 frame set that was won by Bonnie Moebeck.  She was so excited she ran up to Pat and gave him a big hug.  Congratulations Bonnie!

This year's Get Phat with Pat Race was the first at the Minnesota River Bottoms and was a great success despite the lack of snow and the icy conditions.  Thanks go out to the guys that prepped and marked the course, the course judges, Penn Cycle & their employees and especially Pat Sorensen for putting this whole thing together.  See you next year.

To view all of my photos from the 2013 Get Phat with Pat races go to my Flickr Photostream.