Athletes overcome challenges in annual Epic race

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Nearly 100 athletes competed in this year’s Homer Epic, held on March 7 in the Caribou Hills near Homer.

Organized by the Homer Cycling Club, the Homer Epic is a “human-powered” 50-kilometer or 100-kilometer winter race held on “some of the most scenic” local winter trails.

Competitors were invited to ski, bike or run in one of the two race lengths of their choosing.

Chuck Lindsay, one of the event organizers with the Homer Cycling Club, said via email Monday that 98 people started the race — 62 cyclists, 22 runners and 14 skiers — a number “identical” to last year’s event.

“I think (the Homer Epic) is an inspirational event for athletes from Homer and around Alaska,” he wrote. “It allows them to push themselves with the safety net of an organized event with well-marked trails and checkpoints.”

According to the event website, the 50 km course was similar to the 2025 route in including some Eveline dog musher trails and the entire Caribou Lake summer trail. The 100 km course incorporated the 50 km route and included an additional out-and-back on the North Fork Hills Trail past Eden’s Red Cabin and North Fork Dome and the Snomads Palace Loop.

Lindsay added that organizers and competitors both saw many challenges in this year’s event.

“After hoping it would snow for months, it waited to snow until the day before the race, and 1-6 inches of snow accumulated and was blown around by the wind,” he wrote. “Fortunately, Jake Wise groomed much of the route (which primarily takes place on Snomads winter trails) less than 24 hours before the event.

“However, the new snow and wind made conditions difficult, especially for bikers. Volunteers packed the route with snowmachines again the night before the event. Some racers experienced very windy, almost whiteout conditions on the Eagle Lake plateau.”

Still, the event “went off great” despite the difficult conditions. According to Lindsay, almost everyone who started the race finished the course, “although some opted for the shorter finish.”

The Homer Epic sets a 24-hour time limit for completing the race. The 100 km race began March 7 at 8 a.m. and was set to end at 9 a.m. on March 8, with the difference owing to the start of Daylight Savings Time. The 50 km race began at 9 a.m. on March 7 and ended at 10 a.m. on March 8.

The last finisher, Andrew Vigorito, ran the 100 km race, or 62 miles, and crossed the finish line at 1:46 a.m. on March 8.

In addition to being a winter challenge for local athletes, the Homer Epic is a major fundraiser for the Homer Cycling Club.

Lindsay said that while the proceeds from this year’s event will go into the Homer Cycling Club’s general fund, “it is likely that some of these funds will be used to help construct the Eastland Trails out East End Road.”

The Homer Cycling Club also maintains hiking and biking trails and a yurt for nightly rental at the Diamond Creek State Recreation Area off the Sterling Highway. Additionally, the club is involved with the Safe and Healthy Kids Fair and Bike to Work Week, and advocates for cyclist and pedestrian safety through the ‘Homer Shares the Road’ program, which provides tools and reminders on how to share the road.

The 2027 Homer Epic is slated to be held on March 13. Registration will open Nov. 1.

Find the 2026 results and more information at www.homercyclingclub.org/homer-epic or on the event Facebook page.

2026 Homer Epic Race Results

Men’s 50K Bike Race

1. Bryan Hudson, 3:22:12; 2. Nicholas Straka, 3:22:25; 3. Ryan Kofoid, 3:37:50; 4. Dave Gamez, 3:39:00; 5. Kyle Huntsman, 3:40:05; 6. Frederick Dickerson, 4:39:40; 7. Ben Booher, 4:48:50; 8. Norris Paxson, 5:01:35; 9. Mark Snyder, 5:20:55; 10. Mark Simon, 5:23:54; 11. Brittin Southard, 5:44:32; 12. Brandon Brenchley, 5:54:03; 13. Andrew DeBoer, 5:54:22; 14. Chase Anderson, 5:55:29; 15. Hal Shepherd, 6:06:15; 16. Caleb Richardson, 6:12:58; 17. Bob Davis, 6:12:59; 18. Tab Ballantine, 7:07:34; 19. James Ingersoll, 8:51:09.

Women’s 50K Bike Race

1. B Sullivan, 4:07:20; 2. Keesha Matz, 5:16:20; 3. Jaclyn Arndt, 5:34:12; 4. Sarah Aho, 6:04:34; 5. Katarzyna Michon, 6:11:06; 6. Susan Skvorc, 6:25:50; 7. Erin Witmer, 6:25:51; 8. Jill Kohler, 6:51:34; 9. Deb Essex, 6:51:40; 10. Penny Booher, 6:54:16; 11. Shannon Sabroski, 6:54:17; 12. Carlene Van Tol, 6:54:18; 13. Heather Paxson, 6:54:19; 14. Laura Mullin, 8:51:16.

Men’s 50K Ski Race

1. Teigan Copp, 5:09:35; 2. Frank Witmer, 5:26:06; 3. Konrad Schaad, 5:53:42; 4. Bjorn Bjartmarsson, 6:11:05; 5. Levi Kilcher, 6:21:19; 6. Sean Fadeley, 8:43:22; 7. Jason Copp, 9:16:40; 8. Jeremiah Lancaster, 11:01:15.

Women’s 50K Ski Race

1. Gilia Degange, 5:29:45; 2. Heidi Zimmer, 6:26:52; 3. Rachel Fadeley, 8:43:23; 4. Stephanie Rice, 8:52:25.

Men’s 50K Running

1. Tanner Condit, 6:00:07; 2. Kevin Crane, 6:44:32; 3. Kaleb Harvey, 6:53:56; 4. Quinn Tracy, 6:59:56; 5. Aaron Smith, 7:02:34; 6. Andy Lorentz, 7:12:00; 7. Jacob Oberholtzer, 7:29:17; 8. Micah Robert, 8:07:28; 9. Kevin Wettschreck, 8:42:42; 10. Todd Murdoch, 8:49:26; 11. Seth Ferguson, 8:50:19; 12. Micah Henderson, 8:58:42; 13. Jakob Richter, 9:17:27; 14. August Kilcher, 9:51:25; 15. Jon Erickson, 10:07:37.

Women’s 50K Running

1. Emily Lamb, 7:26:37; 2. Britni Siekaniec, 7:41:45; 3. Katy Rice, 7:43:35.

Men’s 100K Bike Race

1. David Kingston, 8:36:15; 2. Mike Monterusso, 8:50:40; 3. David Canales, 9:39:02; 4. Caleb Callaway, 9:39:45; 5. Benjamin Trocki, 9:54:54; 6. Stephen Balcao, 10:28:36; 7. Johnse Ostman, 10:37:30; 8. Grant Stevenson, 10:49:45; 9. Mark Sabroski, 12:00:00; 10. Sawyer Huffman, 12:43:45; 11. Justin Duke, 13:00:15; 12. Curtis Fincher, 14:05:00; 13. Andrew Mitchell, 14:42:05; Samuel Severin, 15:50:05.

Women’s 100K Bike Race

1. Rose Garner, 11:41:35; 2. Kimberly Riggs, 12:05:15; 3. Jennifer Bando, 14:20:20; 4. Piper Haney, 15:14:55; 5. Teal Goodsell, 15:14:56; 6. Katherine Severin, 15:50:00.

Men’s 100K Running

1. Andrew Vigorito, 17:46:05.