No Country for Old Men (383 Mile) Race Report

Darryl — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:45:53 +0000

Marko Baloh, of Slovenia, is the champion of the inaugural No Country for Old Men bicycle race. Marko blistered the 383 mile extremely challenging course in 20 hours 59 minutes, averaging 18.23 mph. Dave Elsberry of Mission Viejo, California finished 2nd with a time of 29 hours 30 minutes. David Disney of Loveland, Colorado finished 3rd in 30 hours 21 minutes. Dan Driscoll and Pam Wright of Ft. Worth, Texas captured the two person mixed team division with a time of 27 hours 15 minutes.

Baloh is rated as one of the top 5 ultra racers in the world. He holds the UMCA track world record for 1000 kilometers (620 miles) in 27 hours 31 minutes. He also holds the UMCA 100 mile road record by racing the 100 miles in 3 hours 48 minutes. Marko is also a 2 time Race Across America podium finalist. He is currently training to once again compete in RAAM in June 2013.

The No Country for Old Men (NCOM) is a non-stop 383 mile bicycle race that begins in Alpine, Texas and travels through Study Butte, Big Bend National Park, Marathon, Ft. Davis and Marfa. There is over 13,000 vertical feet of climbing on the difficult route. Temperatures during the race varied from 100 degrees in the high desert to the low 40′s at night in the Davis Mountains. Most riders drink and eat while on their bikes and race continually without sleep. There was a 32 hour finishing time limit.

NCOM is truly a race of endurance as well as physical and mental challenge and was born from Team Dex Tooke’s Race Across America experiences. Each racer had a follow vehicle with support crew.

Race director Dex Tooke stated, “NCOM is certainly not a race for the masses, but for the elite few who want to challenge themselves for the love of the game. I have long wanted to host an ultra bicycle event in this rugged country.”

The name for the race comes from the Cohen brother film and Corman McCarthy drama novel of the same name. The backdrop for the movie was the remote SW Texas desert area surrounding the Rio Grande River. The same area that challenged the hearty racers.

No Country for Old Men Ultra Bicycle Race

Darryl — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:30:59 +0000

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Dex Tooke is one wild man ultra endurance cyclist, and now he’s putting on his own challenge to bring out other ultra cycling maniacs to join him. You might remember Dex from a post we did that featured him a while back. He has taken on the Race Across America (RAAM) a few times now and last year he became the sixth rider over 60 years of age to complete the event. Dex is also the rider featured in what I consider to be one of the most beautiful cycling photos in the world. Have a look at this incredible Monument Valley RAAM photo.

Dex has created the first ever No Country for Old Men (NCOM) ultra bicycle race which begins and ends at Kokernot Park Alpine, Texas. This race is going to be anything but easy and likely to attract only an elite few.

The six time station, 382.6 mile race kicks off at 8:00am Saturday, October 13 and the route includes over 13,800 feet of vertical climbing. During the race, riders will cycle through Big Bend National Park on Ross Maxwell Scenic Road……one of the Country’s most beautiful roads and winds through rugged, primitive country.

This race is limited to 20 people and invitations can be obtained by contacting Dex at dex@str.rr.com.

A Word from Dex:

The National Park Service has limited the race to 20 participants (relay teams represent one participant). You do not have to immediately submit your registration, but because of the limited field, I would appreciate it if you would let me know as soon as possible if there is a reasonable chance you will be competing. Anyone that Races in this year’s NCOM will automatically have a reserved slot for next year’s race. Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of one of the most exclusive races in the ultra world.

There will be awards for the overall winner in 5 different categories. Each Racer will have the option of purchasing a “No Country for Old Men” finishers jersey autographed by all Racers. In the tradition of Race Across America (RAAM), please bring a t-shirt from one of your previous races. Everyone will have the opportunity to exchange t-shirts with others competitors.

Dex will have an updated website for the race soon, but for now more information can be found on their Facebook Page. Feel free to also leave a comment below with any questions you have or contact Dex directly.

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No Country for Old Men (383 Mile) Race Report

No Country for Old Men Ultra Bicycle Race