© 2025 Aspen Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Snowmass 50 mountain bikers will take on scenic trails for a chance at glory this weekend

John Gaston rides up a singletrack trail during the Snowmass 50 mountain bike race on Aug. 5, 2023. Gaston ultimately won the race, and could be vying for the top spot again this year; he’s one of the registered athletes for the race on Aug. 3, 2024.
Jeremy Swanson
/
Aspen Snowmass
John Gaston rides up a singletrack trail during the Snowmass 50 mountain bike race on Aug. 5, 2023. Gaston ultimately won the race, and could be vying for the top spot again this year; he’s one of the registered athletes for the race on Aug. 3, 2024.

Nearly 200 mountain bikers will hit the trails of Snowmass Village on Saturday for a long-distance race with major views.

Athletes have a few options to tackle the course: Ride two laps solo, for a full 50 miles, team up with another rider, and each take a lap, or ride one lap solo, for a 25-mile race.

Each loop has a challenging 5,000 feet of elevation gain, and according to the race organizer, Aspen Snowmass, the rugged terrain means about 10% of riders will get a flat tire.

The Snowmass 50 covers some of the most popular singletrack in the region, including Sky Mountain Park, Tom Blake and the Rim Trail — so if you’re planning to hit the trails this weekend, you should expect to see a lot of racers who’d appreciate it if you let them pass.

There is prize money at stake for the top 50-mile solo racers, and some athletes are going for a “triple crown” — having already raced the Power of Four ski mountaineering race in February and the ultramarathon last month.

Kaya Williams is the Edlis Neeson Arts and Culture Reporter at Aspen Public Radio, covering the vibrant creative and cultural scene in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. She studied journalism and history at Boston University, where she also worked for WBUR, WGBH, The Boston Globe and her beloved college newspaper, The Daily Free Press. Williams joins the team after a stint at The Aspen Times, where she reported on Snowmass Village, education, mental health, food, the ski industry, arts and culture and other general assignment stories.