
Let me start by saying that Dirty Kanza 200 should only be attempted if you're serious about pushing yourself. I would consider Dirty Kanza to be the Super Bowl of gravel racing, so prepare yourself accordingly.
Rise and Ride!
As of race day there had been about 48 hours of mostly dry conditions with only a few scattered showers in the region so I inched my way up to the 14 hour group. One can dream right?
But regardless of where riders were corralled, the environment was electric. We were all ready to put our training to work.
Roll out in Emporia must be carefully orchestrated due to train schedules and tracks to cross in the first 1/2 mile. As we got moving under police escort I used the wide paved roads to pass hundreds of riders, maybe 300, which likely put me in the 12 hour group by the first turn on to gravel roads south of town.
The lead riders had already stretched the group for 1/2 mile ahead and soon over the rolling hills and out of sight. It was evident that the route was going to put my gear to the test. The road was littered with bottles and riders changing flats, some within the first mile of gravel.
For the next hour or so I could see endless lines of riders extending from horizon to horizon. It was a sort of other-worldly experience, being more than 1000 miles from home, and part of a mass raging exodus from civilization. It was epic in every sense of the word.
Flint Hills

Leaving Checkpoint 1 |
Leg 2 - The Climbs Continue
After a quick refill on supplies and a shifting tune up from my brother Caleb I mounted up for leg 2, which included similar terrain to the previous 48 miles. The longest and toughest climb of the day (by the numbers) was also on this leg, Texaco Hill. I had no idea there could be a 5.6mi climb anywhere in the state of Kansas.
Support Crew
I should point out that taking your own support crew is really important, but if you don't have one I highly recommend the support crew offered through the race organization. At two of the checkpoints I did stop at the support tent to grab a sandwich. Each time my bag was brought to me before I had come to a complete stop. I didn't need my bag either time but it was good to know they were on their game.
Leg 3 - Pushing Through
The first half of the race had taken 6:23:25 and I was still felt strong, though I expected leg 3 to be the most intense, and it did not disappoint. This section offered many high speed descents over the most dangerous gravel of the day, all of which seemed to be much larger and more unstable than before. We also encountered many deep washouts from recent rains and a few short but steep climbs, usually right after low water crossings.
Despite the rough terrain I managed to maintain a good pace throughout leg 3 and surprised myself with how good I felt after rolling past 125mi, making this now my longest ride ever.
Then I encountered my first mechanical issue of the day. On a series of three sizeable rolling hills with fast descents my right shift/break lever became lose, and it was clear this couldn't wait until the next check point to be repaired. After the 2nd descent I decided to go a bit further before stopping, but on the 3rd descent riding on the hoods nearly ripped the lever clean off. Stopping wasn't an option at that speed with an inoperable rear brake so I leaned down into the drops hoping for no major obstacles. At the top of the next hill I dismounted, made the repair, and moved on.
I had expected to hit the proverbial "wall" sometime before reaching CP3, again in Madison (162mi), but was optimistic after 10:42:21 of rolling time. I felt I still had enough in the tank to aggressively take on the last 44mi. This section would be predominantly flat, but still with more elevation gain than northeast Florida.
I had spent the majority of my day alone, in the sense that I was either not following someone's wheel, could only see riders in the distance, or was in fact completely alone. I left CP3 by myself and anticipated that would be the case most of the final stretch. I was happy to encounter a couple different groups of 4-6 riders each, who were moving at a solid pace. One group had three teammates who shared the majority of the effort for about 15 minutes. But when they sat up with 13 miles to go I knew I would regret leaving anything in the tank at the finish line, so I chose to go on alone. At this point it became my goal to pass every rider I saw on the horizon, so I did what flat land riders do best, I put my head down and hammered.

On leg 4 I had the same average speed as leg 1, and spent much more of that time solo. I would attribute my strength in the final leg to the training program (which I purchased through Dirty Kanza), eating a lot of food in the race, determination, and surely some adrenaline.
The Finish!!
Thanks to my brother Caleb for his support! |
All in all, this race was the achievement of a goal that had been brewing in my mind for a couple of years. Every pedal stroke and every ounce of sweat was worth it. I stuck to my plan and I out performed my expectations, so I'm extremely pleased with my experience.
If you're considering doing this race I highly recommend it. If you have any questions please reach out to me via email or in the comments and I'd love to help you understand what you're getting into.
Now go train!
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Strava Evidence That I Raced Dirty Kanza 200 - 2017 |
Amber Waves of Grain |
CP1 |
CP3 |
Finishing Stretch |
Crossing the Finish Line |
Thanks www.GravelGuru.com for this great pic |
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