Horgan-Kobelski and Irmiger seek third straight Marathon titles

More than 200 riders will take to the trails in and around Bend, Oregon, on Saturday, September 17 for the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships.

Aiming for a third-straight Mountain Bike Marathon national title in the pro category are Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek) and Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Trek). The husband-and-wife duo dominated last year’s event, held in Breckenridge, Colorado. Horgan-Kobelski is also looking to add to his 2011 national titles after taking the short track cross-country championship at the Mountain Bike Cross-Country Nationals in July.

Returning 2010 stars-and-stripes jersey winners also include Robert Stanley (Foxtrot Racing) in the men’s 50-59 category and Dwight Hibdon (Mad Dog Cycles Race Team) in the men’s 60+ category.

Competitors will traverse more than 50 miles of singletrack, doubletrack and pavement between starting and finishing in Bend’s historic Old Mill District. The single-loop course will wind through the trails west of downtown Bend and feature a mixture of technical sections along with sustained climbs and fast descents.

This year, riders will be divided into 14 different categories: Men Pro/Elite, Women Pro/Elite, Men 19-29, Women 19-29, Men 30-34, Men 35-39, Women 30-39, Men 40-49, Women 40-49, Men 50-59, Women 50+, Men 60+, Men Singlespeed and Women Singlespeed.