Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SALUDA–On Saturday, the Green River Games, a multisport competition dedicated to celebrating the rugged and challenging terrain of the Green River Game Lands, held the GRG Enduro Bike Races. The event consisted of multiple classes of bikes, including Men’s Open, Men’s Amateur, Juniors, E Assist, Women’s Open and Women’s Amateur.

Competitors met at Green River Ranch and completed a 14-mile loop with 4 timed downhill stages before returning back to Green River Ranch for the final leg of the race. With long climbs and technical downhills, the Green River Game Lands provided the perfect landscape for an Enduro mountain bike race.

The GRG Enduro is a mountain bike racing format that focuses on the excitement of downhill racing and the endurance of cross country. Athletes were timed in 4 downhill stages and had limited time to complete the entire race. With 3,000 feet of elevation gain, the GRG Enduro tested both the skills and endurance of the competitors.

The Men’s open category saw Walker Shaw take the top spot, and in the Women’s Open category, Sarah Poling took first place. Amos Yoder took the top spots in the Juniors category, while Nathan LaValla earned first place in the Men’s Amateur category. Josh Aldridge took the top spot in the E-bikes category.

The GRG Enduro was preceded by the Billy Goat Scramble, a 30-kilometer trail race that took place last Saturday, where runners raced through some of the most picturesque and challenging terrains the Green River Game Lands has to offer. The course included Pace Cliffs, Laurel Mountain and more, winding through forests, up steep inclines and across rocky streams.

Racers were required to reach out-and-back checkpoints in a predetermined order during this run. The race included technical and endurance-based sections, making it a challenging experience for all participants.

Each year, new areas of the Green River Game Lands are improved, making the race a little different every time. Racers were faced with lots of scrambling on the tiniest trails to reach the hidden gems of the Green River Gorge, making it a thrilling and memorable experience for all who participated.