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John Marino Competition |
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| "Although the level of participation was not as high as hoped, the competition will continue next year." And so, on that note of trepidation, the first year of the John Marino Competition (JMC) ended in year 2000, with 14 men and three women and racing in only 12 race venues. The John Marino Competition honors the founder of the UMCA and the Race Across AMerica. Ultra racers compete in a series of double centuries, 12- and 24- hour races, RAAM qualifiers and the Race Across America to determine the best ultra racers of the season. |
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In the 1990s ultracycling was perceived as RAAM and qualifying for RAAM and membership in the UMCA had fallen. Three RAAM qualifiers had been cancelled due to lack of participation. In 1999 Lon Haldeman and John Hughes were talking about how to increase racing by ultra riders. Lon suggested something analogous to the British Best All-Around Rider. The BAR recognizes the riders with the best overall performance in a 100-mile, a 12-hour, and a 24-hour time trials. Hughes liked the idea and with Tom Buckley and Paul Evans created the John Marino Competition, naming it after the founder of the UMCA and RAAM. Evans served as the first chair of the JMC.
That first year demonstrated the need for some changes if the competition would survive. A review of the history provides a deeper appreciation for where the program is today.
Year 2000:
14 men and three women participated with 12 sites offering 12 event choices. The field included four RAAM finishers. The participants could earn up to 15 difficulty points and the most performance points won. There was no requirement to complete a difficulty three event to be named overall champion. RAAM earned 10 difficulty points. Tom Buckley (207.73 points) and Cassie Lowe (153.88) were the overall winners.
Participation doubled with 28 men and seven women competing. We also sanctioned 18 event choices on 15 sites. To increase rider flexibility, we started allowing cross-state and other records to earn points for the first time. Jim Trout ( 213.03) and Cassie Lowe (154.39) were the champions. After the lukewarm start in 2000 JMC chair Paul Evans remarked to John Hughes that the UMCA should considering canceling the competition if participation didn't double in 2001. Fortunately, they didn't!
Year 2002:
Participation almost doubled again as 51 men and 10 women took on 24 events on 21 sites. In an effort to increase the competitiveness, we limited the JMC to a rider's best 12 difficulty points and reduced RAAM to eight DP. We also introduced the rule that a rider had to complete an event worth three DP in order to qualify as the overall male or female champion. Although one can argue about what is an ultra ride, to be crowned as the best ultra rider of the season a rider should complete a tough event lasting more than 24 hours. Four mixed-gender tandem teams enter the competition. Marc Pritchard ( 187.35) was the top male and Nancy Guth earned 161.13 to begin her reign as the top woman.
Year 2003:
We offered more events: 23 sites with 27 event choices; however, participation was down: 42 men and four women. Paris-Brest-Paris was held in 2003, which may explain the reduced participation in the JMC. Sam Baugh ( 207.72) took top honors and Nancy Guth was top woman (165.21).
Year 2004:
This was a year of tragedy: the death of Bob Bachtel during Calvin's Challenge caused organizers to stop that event and the death of Dave Holmes resulted in cancellation of the UMCA 24-Hour Championship. The Balltown Classic was also not held. These changes sharply reduced racing sites that year: 17 sites offered 23 event choices to 46 men and eight women. Total participation also fell. We track total race entries – one rider entering one event is one JMC entry. In 2004 there were only 127 JMC entries down from 163 JMC entries in 2003. 2004 was the first year for the 12- and 24-Hour Mileage divisions. The overall champs were John Jurczynski (185.80) and Nancy Guth (163.68)
Year 2005:
We sanctioned almost twice as many events: 30 sites offered 43 event choices and 65 men and nine women participated. Calvin's Challenge, the Balltown Classic and the UMCA 24-Hour Championship resumed. We created the new Youth division (under 25 years old). Four 1200K brevets were on the schedule this year and 22 JMC riders completed one or more. The quality of the racing was superb and the participation set a record of 226 JMC race entries, which far exceeded the previous high of 163 in 2003. The 2004 champs repeated: John Jurczynski (214.54) and Nancy Guth (161.16)
Clearly after six years the John Marino Competition is a success: we have more UMCA members and they are participating in more events! The quality of competition has always been high — the points totals of the overall winners each year are remarkably similar.
The breadth of the competition has increased: from 12 sites with 12 event choices to 37 sites and 50 events in 2006. The goal of the JMC is to determine the best ultra riders of the season through head-to-head competition. To promote that competition we constrain the total number of events and have the rule that a rider must complete an event worth three difficulty points to be the overall champion.
The depth of the competition has also increased: from 17 riders in 2000 to 74 racers last year. The key to this growth is recognition: every rider who earns at least five difficulty points receives a medal. In 2005 over half the field earned a medal. The new 12- and 24-hour divisions also increase participation, allowing racers to demonstrate excellence by specializing in one type of event,
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UMCA is responding to the interests of the membership and the larger ultra community. That community includes not only the racers but also the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers who put on the events. The growth of the JMC leads to growth in these events. Think we're not growing? Then re-read this article, which helps us segue into what is coming for 2006!
Year 2006:
Our JMC main goal is to have 80 men and 15 women racing. We have sanctioned 37 sites offering 50 event choices, including six events in Europe and one in South America.
The UMCA is starting the Dave Holmes Rider Development program to encourage younger riders to participate in endurance riding and/or racing. The program will include riders in their teens, 20s and early 30s. The program will support both ultra racing and endurance riding such as centuries and brevets. This should increase participation in the JMC.
Cycling is popular in the Central states; however, growth in JMC participation in that region has been slow. We will be working with event promoters to increase the visibility of the JMC.
Call us dreamers, but we think it is possible that total participation could exceed 100 JMC racers. And if it doesn't, we'll just say: "Although the level of participation was not as high as hoped, the competition will continue next year."
About the John Marino Competition