The third annual Trail Docs Torture Test was held on Saturday, January 7, at Bluff Creek Ranch in Warda, Texas. Seventy-five hearty mountain bikers showed up for the event, which was the first National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) Marathon this year.

The event was also the first race of the Texas State Marathon Series, the only marathon series in the country. The race encompassed a 10-mile lap at Warda, 40 miles of dirt roads over to Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, a 17-mile lap at the ranch and 25 miles of dirt roads and pavement back to Warda.

The race was a fundraiser for Texas Bicycle Coalition’s Trail Doctors program and was a continuing success in that regard. The money raised will be used as a match for the program grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and will provide an avenue for the Trail Docs to participate in the World Mountain Bike Summit in Whistler, BC this June.

The men’s open class was won by Billy Kurtz (Orthopedicstore.com) in a time of 6:01:17. Kurtz said the 29er he was riding made a huge difference on the gravel roads. Early on, the race was led by Ethan Frost (Austin Bikes), Matt Gordon and Marcus Torres (both of Orthopedicstore.com). Torres flatted after checkpoint two and was out of the lead group. Frost and Gordon kept the breakaway going until Rocky Hill, but slowed once in the single-track. Kurtz was able to catch and pass the two leaders about 13 miles into the lap and soloed the 25 miles back to Warda. Nathan Winkleman (Team BikeLane/EDJ) placed second, the first ever finisher on a cyclocross bike. The women’s field was led by Christina Smith, also of Orthopedicstore.com, with a final time of 7:03:51.