Flint Hills event nearly lives up to its name
Six Marion County residents tested the 2007 Flint Hills Death Ride in July, and all of them passed.
Started in 1993 by Kansan John Hobbs, who was tired of people from the east and west coasts making fun of his state for being flat, the grueling 76.4 mile trip on rock and dirt through the Flint Hills near Madison in the middle of summer is one not to be taken lightly.
Marion County riders Casey Case, Mike Moran, Don Hodson, and Evan, Becky, and Allen Yoder all finished the ride, but that wasn't the case for nearly half of the 160 participants.
Case, who was competing for the third time and was joined by first-timers and former rugby teammates Bill Bequette of Wichita and Dr. Jeff Brunner of Colorado, said half of the race was the mental and physical preparation.
The other half was the 10 or 11 hours on the up-and-down course that totaled an elevation gain of more than 5,000 feet.
The first 10 minutes of this year's ride included a heavy downpour, leaving competitors soaked and muddy for the rest of the trip.
Case said it was still worth it for everyone who finished, and stressed that hydration before, during, and after the race is essential in completing the task.
For all of the county bikers except Hodson and Moran, the trip was an extra eight miles after the riders went four miles out of the way and had to back track.
Despite the extra riding time, Case said most of the Marion County group will return in 2008.
