MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Marquette County is a world-class mountain bike destination, attracting riders worldwide. This weekend the best of the best will compete in a race that many consider insane.
It’s known as “The hardest single-day mountain bike race in America.” the Marji Gesick. A 100-mile race through the wilderness. 1400 of the toughest bikers and runners will compete in this 25-hour, 100-mile race, and whether it’s on foot, on two wheels, or both, it’s a competition not for the faint of heart. Put on by Adventure 906, the course includes all Marquette County trail networks and traverses some of the most unforgiving terrain imaginable. I spoke to Race Director Todd Poquette who gave me some insight into who would take part in this challenge.
“We just want to bring people together to share as humans always have in something really hard and to experience a struggle together. That’s really what’s at the root of the event,” said Poquette.
The namesake of the race is Mah-gee-Gezhik, a local Native American Chief who guided the earliest area explorers in search of iron ore. Mah-gee-Gezhik was an outstanding wilderness guide and the real discoverer of the Marquette Iron Range.
“What better name and story and heritage than that. The discovery of iron ore here in Marquette County to become the name of the event,” said Poquette.
So many elements set this competition apart from others like it. From the extreme terrain, to the fact that the event fills up within an hour after the race is posted, to the fact that it attracts a large number of women to a normally male-dominated sport.
“Our percentage of women, which is around 25 to 30% of the field, is much higher than the national average,” explained Poquette. “So I think that also speaks just to the overall accessibility of the event.”
In conjunction with the main event, Adventure 906 also puts on a 50-mile race as well as a kid’s race. A lesser-known experience is the Marji 200, a devastating 200-mile journey that follows the same course as the 100-mile race, but doubled.
Although the purse for the race is just one dollar, top finishers who complete the 100-mile in 12-hours or less or the 200-mile race in less than 34 hours get a special handmade iron belt buckle to go along with all the bruises and blisters.
For more information on The Marji Gesick 100, visit their website, https://906adventureteam.com/mountain-bike-events/marji-gesick/
