2024 RACE DATE IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPT. 21-22.
REGISTRATION OPENS ON July, 12th, 2024
Men's Course Record:
2021 Winner James Ebert 21 hours and 36 minutes
Women's Course Record:
2022 Female Winner Judith Stutes 32 hours and 47 minutes
Its official... you're crazy. At least that's what your friends and family think. This event began as one of those terribly awesome bad ideas that seems to get worse as you go but suddenly turns out amazing. In 2021, we're introduced the Dirty Water Route to the world as an official gravel grinder event. This race has been “Given Back to the Riders” meaning that we will organize the grand depart and keep records and watch tracking dots for the riders on course. It is now FREE. Register on BikeReg.com and the also on the Follow My Challenge link that is delivered in your confirmation email.
(Note, the fees associated for tracking services are not affiliated by The Dirty Water Route organization and although the race is free we are asking for the safety and piece of mind of everyone participating the tracking service is utilized).
WE NOW ARE OFFERING THIS RACE AS A FREE BIKEPACKING RACE. In the theme of great events such as the Tour Divide, Arkansas High Country, Trans Iowa (RIP) and Crush the Commonwealth, we are only asking you to sign up for the tracking service and rent the SPOT device if needed. Garmin InReach devices can also be used. A Garmin Edge, Wahoo, or cell phone GPS app does not provide the needed tracking service and SOS capability. The tracking service if for your safety and the sanity of your friends and family and is also for insuring the route is followed. Riders racing for FKT's may be asked for Strava or other tracking files that more precisely show the route is followed.
A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It has also proven to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie.
Official Rules:
ANY outside assistance besides what is publicly available via businesses along the way is prohibited and will result in disqualification from the official results.
Participants must carry their own supplies. Refilling water from streams along the way is not recommended. The route will pass through towns and it is advised that supplies are purchased along the way from these locations. THERE ARE NO AID STATIONS OR CUT-OFF TIMES. Riders must navigate through and complete the entire route.
No Drafting. Participants may ride together side-by-side. (i.e. self supported means no drafting either…)
Participants must use the ride tracking service provided by Follow My Challenge USA. See link above.
What you get by registering for this race is a route, a mass start, and the motivation to challenge yourself on a self-supported bicycling adventure. No frills, no registration fees, no support. Just you vs. the Route.
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35931443
Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/dwr-500km
When: Saturday Sept 21st, 2024 at 6:00 am. Camping at the South Point Community Center Friday night is available. There are restrooms and room inside to spread out.
Where: Starts at South Point Ohio, Finishes in Vermilion, Ohio.
Cost: NOW FREE (excluding tracking service for your safety and verification of route completion)
Lodging: There are numerous camp grounds along the way and ghost camping is always an option if done in a respectful, safe manner. We have been given the okay to camp at the start the night before the race at the South Point Community Center. Recommendations for campsites along the way are as follows:
Lake Alma State Park
Lake Hope State Park
Dillon State Park (slightly off route, but only a few miles out of the way)
Mohican State Park
Other: A HUGE part of this challenge is the logistics. We will not be providing you a detailed explanation of how to download the route, get to the start, find your way along the unmarked route, and finally, get home from the finish. Remember the spirit of this event is to challenge yourself and to have a little adventure in your life. We will provide you with answers to your questions, but don't be surprised if the answer more about guidance than a solution to your problem. Let's keep the spirit of the ride in mind as we all explore this beautiful state. We don't think you'll be disappointed!
A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, long smooth stretches of asphalt, and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, class 4 gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It should also prove to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie. We have made every attempt to cross into resupply areas when possible.
Bike set-up recommendations:
During our recon rides and drives, we have determined the ideal bike is a gravel bike with 700 x 38 tires or perhaps wider if you are unfamiliar with riding on gravel. Fast rolling tires setup tubeless would be the best bet. Water carrying capacity and some lightweight sleeping setup of some kind. We suggest a small lightweight backpack in the event you need to carry supplies to get through a night or two out on the route. BE AWARE OF GUARD DOGS ALONG THE ROUTE IN SOME RURAL AREAS. Of course, you could load up with a heavy bike-touring setup, but the hills in this route are steep, numerous, and many are rugged enough that your stuff will be more of a burden than an asset. We always recommend lights front and rear. Be sure you have a way to ride through at least some dark hours, as we start at 6am on September 21st.
We've gotten a lot of questions about the route over the past few years, especially related to tire selection. The DWR consists of a majority of grade 1 roads with prolonged stretches of grade 2 and 3 and a few short sections of grade 4+. You don't want to under-tire on this route because the gravel stretches are miles long in many cases, including a 10 mile stretch in the remote Wayne National Forest area. Terrain is steep and unrelenting throughout the route until the very end so even a paved , grade 1 road, will be best tackled of a wider tire, disc brakes, and a stable bike. A perfect tire for this course is the Kenda Alluvium Pro in 700x40. 650Bx47 would also be a great choice! Gear your bike lower than you think you should... you won't regret having lower gears after 30+ hours of riding on these hills!
2023 Race Results: Click Here!
2022 Dirty Water Route 500km
38 Hour Race Overall Results:
1. George Herriott
25 hours and 54 minutes
2. Rodney Reed
28 hours and 16 minutes
3. Corey Graham
31 hours and 32 minutes
4. Cody Raudebaugh
31 hours and 49 minutes
5. Matt Barnum
32 hours and 22 minutes
6. Judith Stutes
32 hours and 47 minutes
7. Jeff Frasz
33 hours and 5 minutes
8. Jill White
34 hours and 24 minutes
9. Jordan Bodwell
34 hours and 25 minutes
10. David Neumann
34 hours and 55 minutes
11. Meaghan Gehrke
37 hours and 5 minutes
12. Ted Dennee
37 hours and 16 minutes
DNF
Adam Chase- 285 miles
John Hanzel- 187 miles
Jeff Shaull- 187 miles
Steven Crandall- 185 miles
Eli Dalton- 169 miles
Cameron Wyant- 167 miles
Benjamin Herbertz- 144 miles
Clayton Bickel- 133 miles
Spencer Hennigan- 133 miles
Thomas McKenna- 133 miles
Nicholas Campbell- 130 miles
Tyler Swanson- 116 miles
Dan Olson- 114 miles
Bill Kingsolver- 114 miles
Anthony Bunt- 114 miles
Justin Styskel- 114 miles
38 Hour Race Men Results:
1. George Herriott
25 hours and 54 minutes
2. Rodney Reed
28 hours and 16 minutes
3. Corey Graham
31 hours and 32 minutes
4. Cody Raudebaugh
31 hours and 49 minutes
5. Matt Barnum
32 hours and 22 minutes
6. Jeff Frasz
33 hours and 5 minutes
7. Jordan Bodwell
34 hours and 25 minutes
8. David Neumann
34 hours and 55 minutes
9. Ted Dennee
37 hours and 16 minutes
38 Hour Race Female Results:
1. Judith Stutes 32 hours and 47 minutes
2. Jill White 34 hours and 24 minutes
3. Meaghan Gehrke 37 hours and 5 minutes
Official Finishers
1. Andy Dennee
2. David Layfield
(2021 Recap)
2021 Results are in!!! Congrats to all of you that started this journey, and great racing at the front by James and Nicholas. WE HAVE A NEW COURSE RECORD!!! What an amazing ride James!!
2021 Race Results
1. James Ebert 21:36:07 **CR**
2. Nicholas Scaggs 23:05:38 **sub 24!**
3. Colby Gallagher & John West 24:44:43
5. Jeremy Hardwick 25:56:20
6. Douglas Ritzert & Will Staler 28:09:03
8. Ramsey Hanna 30:35:43
9. Jonathan Kaesgen 33:12:58
10. Ee Durbin 33:51:11
11. Aaron Gillispie 34:08:16
12. Quinn Watson 34:14:00
13. Nicholas Campbell 34:31:25
14. Sloan Sobiski 34:39:44
15. Zach Mahler 35:07:09
16. Austin Motz 35:20:08
17. Daniel Olson 36:07:24
18. Eric Iven 35:28:20
19. Andrew Greene 37:34:24
Official Finisher
20. Henk Stock (sub 64 hours)
DNF
21. Adam Chase 273.9 miles
22. Rob Robertson 261.65 miles
23. Ron Smedley 227.5 miles
24. Gately Williams 224.31 miles
25. Judith Stutes 213.88
26. Craig Belair & Mike Kuhnell 175.66 miles
28. Brian Davis 169.59 miles
29. Jacob Coleman 166.52 miles
30. David Burch 161.28
31. Jared Scott Dunham 160.04 miles
32. Rob Bozovich 147.64 miles
33. Jeff Shaull 142.87 miles
34. Matt Barnum 115.55 miles
35. Jill White 115.28 miles
36. Gary Lunsford 103.87 miles
37. Aaron Pike 103 miles
38. Terry Wagner & Matt Brownson 95.80 miles
40. David Kozar 35 miles (Broken bike, may she rest in pieces…)
C
DWR reviews
Craig and Chris left South Point, Ohio in early September, and to our knowledge are the first riders to tackle the entire route. These men did it right, taking their time on the course and enjoying the sights along the way! Six days later, on September 11th, 2020, they became the first two people to complete the route! They stopped in Ashland on their last day on the way to the lake for a couple of minor repairs, some coffee from Downtown Perk, and some beer from Uniontown Brewing Co. before heading out on the last section to Lake Erie.