Event: Trail Spinners Fair Hill Classic and MASS Finals
Place: Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, Elkton, MD
Ridden: August 2015
Click on video to play
The Trail Spinners Fair Hill Endurance and XC race served as the MASS (Mid Atlantic Super Series) series final race. It was the last race of the season and where the year-end individual and team championships were awarded.
Fair Hill is a 5,656 acre Natural Resources Management Area developed for maximum use and protection of Maryland's natural resources. Bordered by Pennsylvania to the north and less than one half mile west of Delaware, Fair Hill is know for it's pristine fields, woodlands, and natural beauty.
Approximately 80 miles of trails are present in Fair Hill, many open to multi-use for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Don't expect to find a ton of rocks on the trails here; instead there is root after root amidst tight switchbacks; short, steep descents and quad-burning short, steep climbs. With the lack of "mountains" here one may feel the area is flat, but these trails are deceptively challenging. You never stop pedaling and punchy climb after climb wears the legs out quickly.
Both Joël and I came into this race not expecting much, we were feeling tired from a long racing season and without rock gardens and sketchy descents we were feeling out of our element. But I guess all those previous races have raced us into shape, we both pushed hard, felt good about our races, and placed higher than expected. I was 2nd female and Joël 7th male.
This was also the event where MASS year-end awards were given out. Both of us battled it out with other racers at many events, making us have to earn our overall placings. At the end of it all, I was top placing female, 1st overall Open Women Endurance and Joël was 3rd Open Men Endurance.
Thanks to the Trail Spinners for putting on a great event. Well organized, good aid stations, course well marked, and friendly and helpful volunteers. In addition, overall it was a great year of racing the MASS series- fun times with friends before, during, and after the races, many awesome courses, and just overall great times riding our Lust Advanced 0 and Giant Anthem SX 27.5 for mile after mile.
- words by Jess
- video by Joël
