The inaugural Larry Schwartz Memorial Tinbutt 12-Hour Meltdown, sponsored by the Red Dirt Pedalers Bicycle Club, was held in Stillwater, OK on Saturday, July 24, 2004. The event didn't live up to its name (Meltdown). On Friday, the temperature reached 95 degrees with a heat index well over 100 degrees. Around 5:30 Friday afternoon, a cold front blew across the state, bringing thunderstorms and heavy rains, and temperatures dropped.

Saturday morning dawned with leaden skies, light rain, and a temperature in the mid-60s. That was to be the general weather pattern for the rest of the day. The high for the day was 78 degrees, with cloudy skies, some very light rain in the morning, and light northwest winds which picked up to 10 to 15 mph by late afternoon. Absolutely unbelievable weather for Oklahoma in late July! The normal high for the date is 94.

The nice weather made for a great day of riding and resulted in some very good results over a fairly difficult course.

The course was a 22-mile loop on state highways and county roads. Most of the route was fairly gentle climbs and descents, although one five-mile section included a series of short rollers with grades up to eight percent. The start/finish was at a park on the west side of Lake McMurtry just west of Stillwater. The race was started by Park Ranger Roger Bastion and the park staff provided much appreciated support for the event.

David Dannels, John Jurczynski, and Sam Baugh cross the finish line in a dead heat after finishing 220 miles

The inseparable trio of Sam Baugh, David Dannels, and John Jurczynski had the top mileage: 220 miles. Drafting was allowed, so these three worked together all day. Mutually acknowledging the combined effort of all three riders, they chose to cross the finish line in a dead heat and share the top honors.

Four riders - Ryan Ross, Steve Cottrell, Virgil Moehsmer, and James Cartwright - completed 198 miles officially, but rode an additional two miles to complete their double centuries.

Thirty-one riders competed in the event, with an additional six fun riders participating. There were riders from California, New Hampshire, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. The youngest rider was 13-year-old James Mitchell; he completed 132 miles and rode his first century ever in the event. The oldest riders were 66-year-olds James Cartwright (a seemingly perpetual Mileage Challenge and John Marino Competition champion) and race organizer, Don Norvelle.

The event honored the memory of Larry Schwartz. Schwartz was leading the Mileage Challenge in 2003 when he hit by a school bus while riding his bike and died. Judith Jolly, Larry's fiancèe, was the grand marshal of the event and participated on her recumbent.

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