Firecracker 50 to decide American marathon champions

The Firecracker 50 will host the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships on Friday, July 4, the Independence Day holiday in the US. In its eighth year, the Breckenridge, Colorado, race is hosting the nationals for the second consecutive year.

"The course was one of the best I've raced, with super fun singletrack and challenging climbs," 2007 Marathon National Champion Shonny Vanlandingham said to the Denver Post.

The race begins at 11 am, and racers will tackle two 25-mile loops with a total of 10,800 feet of climbing. Given the high Rocky Mountains location at more than 9,000 feet, the altitude is expected to play a role in the race.

Last year's event was won by Shonny Vanlandingham (Luna Chix) and Jay Henry (Tokyo Joe's).