What is the Breck Epic you ask? Well, it’s a six-day mountain bike stage race composed of BIG backcountry loops, each between 35 and 50 miles long, that begin and end in Breckenridge, CO. The event is unique in that it employs a cloverleaf format; each loop starts and finishes within a mile from downtown Breckenridge and utilizes the sprawling network of trails in both Summit and Park Counties. Did we mention that Breckenridge sits at 9,600 ft, which means the air is real thin? And, every stage goes up from there, with some days topping out at 12,500 ft!
The Race
Nutrition Tips
“The Breck Epic harkens back to a time when mountain biking was about big rides with friends. About lending a hand when a rider went down. About a shared experience that somehow, flying in the face of all logic, disproportionately enriched all involved,” says event founder and Sheriff of Singletrack, Mike McCormack.
There are so many factors that make the Breck Epic one of the premiere stage races in the world, but if we had to pick the best qualities: place and personnel. Breckenridge is at the base of the Tenmile Range in the Rockies, which means it’s the epicenter for out of this world mountain bike riding. Do you like navigating technical, high alpine singletrack along old mining flumes? How about crossing the continental divide above tree line? What about 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains/valleys followed by mind blowingly technical descents along the Colorado Trail? Well, the Breck Epic has all of this and then some. And the personnel that make this all happen? Well, they are nothing short of amazing and deliver efficient registration, informative riders’ meetings, well-marked courses, and fully staffed aid stations. The folks at Breck Epic leave no stone unturned when it comes to making sure all the little details are taking care of so that all you have to do is ride your bike. And smile, of course!