(Lander, WY) – The WYO 131 rolls out of Lander this Saturday, Sept. 12, and this year the finish line is getting a party of its own.
Nicki Simon took over as race director in April, stepping in after the Lander Cycling Club found itself without anyone to run the event.
“The cycling club was considering cancelling the race,” Simon said. “They reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested. I just kind of jumped in, fully threw myself into the fire.”
It is her first year organizing the race, though she’s familiar with event planning and the outdoor rec scene. The event itself goes back to 2017, when it started as a small, fully self supported ride at the 131 mile distance with somewhere between 10 and 20 riders. Gwen Robson ran it for the last six years and grew it into one of the better known gravel races in the country, adding the 75 mile, the 45 mile, and the 13 mile inspiration ride, along with electric bike divisions and a kids pedal and push race at the finish.
Simon said her focus this year was on the part of the race that happens after the riding stops.
“My goal was really to make it more engaging for the whole community in Lander, as well as the cyclists and everyone that comes from out of town,” she said. “After 131 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing, I think you need a good party to come back to.”
That party is Biketoberfest, a free, all day event at City Park put together with Matt Ubanich of Pushroot. It runs from about 11 a.m. until the last band wraps up around 8 p.m., with an after party at Pushroot. Along with the finish line itself, there will be three live bands, a beer tent, award ceremonies, a raffle, a cornhole tournament, food trucks, ice cream, lemonade, beer and nonalcoholic drinks, and yoga in the morning. The kids pedal and push race is free and open to anyone.
Simon said the emphasis on the finish came directly from rider feedback.
“People said the finish line was kind of quiet,” she said. “I want it to be a huge celebration for every rider that comes through, especially the person who comes in dead last.”
Start times shifted this year too. The 131 mile riders roll out at 5:30 a.m. in the dark, and lights are required. The shorter distances stagger their starts later, which Simon said should bunch finishers closer together instead of stringing them out across the day. Riders have until 4:45 p.m. to clear the final aid station at Atlantic City, and the course closes at 7:30 p.m.
Registration this year is spread pretty evenly across the four distances, something Simon said she was glad to see.
“There’s a lot of people who are interested in gravel racing and want to try it out and take advantage of those more approachable options,” she said.
Locals have signed up in numbers, she said, along with riders from around the country. A map at the finish line will let riders stick a pin in where they traveled from.
Behind the scenes, Simon said the hardest part has been the sheer volume of moving pieces, and how many of them cannot be locked down until the final days.
“You can do all the prep, but there’s a lot of things that really can’t happen until the last minute,” she said. She credited the cycling club, her committee, and a group of volunteers who have worked the event for years. “I feel like I have lots of great expertise to lean on.”
Online registration closes Thursday night at wyo131.com. In person registration runs Friday from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the check in event at Pushroot. Spots remain in all distances. Biketoberfest at City Park is free and open to everyone on Saturday.