Author: Iceman Cometh Challenge

With the reports of rain coming into the area there is a small reroute in the Sands Lake/Broomhead area of the course. This is approximately between kilometer markers 25 and 23. You will now continue north on Sands Lake to Broomhead. Turn North on to Broom Head and continue for about 1km. This will then take you to a left turn that will place the you back on the original race course.

The updated course has been posted on Ride with GPS. A course map marking feed stations and checkpoints is posted to the Iceman website.

Here is the Official Course for the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge. Reminders: Still watch for logging activity and do not go on to the airport property until Race Day.

The Meijer Slush Cup Course is published as well. Below are images of the race routes This just in! We have an update Meijer Slush Cup Course for 2022.

Happy training and we will see you in November!

Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge presented by TREK Official Race Course

2022 Meijer Slush Cup Course

Our inboxes are flooded with everyone wanting to know what the course in 2022 is going to look like and (oops) The Year of the Owl flew onto some screens before it was fully ready. While we were trying to give you, a 100 percent finished course to ride, we got delayed working around logging operations in some areas.

In the meantime, our friends out at NMMBA were working at the speed of light to get the rest of the trail ready. We know some have been out riding the course area based off past years and others have been asking so we thought you’d rather have a tentative course than wait any longer.

This DRAFT course is close to the final. We are working with the DNR to keep the riders away from the logging activity. So please note two very important items regarding this course:

1. NO ONE is allowed on the airport property until race day per FAA regulations
2. Be aware of your surroundings while biking this course

Without further adieu here is

The Year of the Owl

The Iceman staff is excited to announce additional cash prizes awarded this year in the Women’s race. “We are adding $2,910 in prize money to the pot this year and 6 additional women’s categories,” Executive Director Kat Paye stated. Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge is striving to continue to create more equitable racing for women. Since the inception of the Pro/Cat 1 Race, the Iceman Cometh was one of the only races in the Nation to pay women the same amount as men.  As our team continues to bring women to the forefront of Mountain Bike Races while maintaining a competitive field, the following category changes will occur:

• Retired Categories: Women 30-34, Women 35-39, Women 40-44, Women 45-49, Women 50-54, Women 55-59
• New Categories: Women 30-32, Women 33-34, Women 35-37, Women 38-39, Women 40-42, Women 43-44, Women 45-47, Women 48-49, Women 50-51, Women 52-54, Women 55-56, Women 57-59

We can’t wait to see all the Ice(wo)men in November! Keep training.

As it turns out, during the wave review process we discovered that some people were less than honest (or there was an obscene amount of typos) when people were requesting the wave they qualify for.  This means two things. 1. Wave assignments will not be posted for a bit while we dig through the numbers more thoroughly and 2. All waves will be considered open at this time.

IF you are already registered and have questions about the wave you requested vs. the one you may have qualified for, please check your inbox.  We sent out an email with some details.

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A note on waves that do fill.  If you qualify and apply for a wave that is full, you will be placed on a queue list for that wave. As space opens in the wave, we will move people in the order they were registered. The queue list by wave will be posted after the wave placements are solidified and sent out.

Thanks all for hanging with us as we work through something new.

And we agree, you will have the option to drop your time from 2019 when calculating your average time for your wave placement.  We have had a few other really great questions come across email and social media over the last few years, here are the answers. 

Can you give us a few examples of how to average our results?  

Sure! In fact, we made a calculator to help out as well. You can download it here.  

If you only raced one year since 2017 2016, you can use that time to calculate your wave place. If that one year is 2019, we can’t change that. So if your time is greater than 2:59:47 and that is your only year, then you can enter any wave after wave 28.  

If you have three times and one of them is 2019 and it is dragging down your average (because it was a very muddy year with long waits and longer times), average together your other two times.  

Are you really double checking this information?  

Yes. You will be asked a series of questions during registration (we will send these out to you head of time). These numbers will be compared with our list and we will verify your average calculation before placing you in your wave.  Last year our information from the two different platforms and two different timers didn’t gel and led to many wave place errors.  We are hope that this new method will fix past errors plus provide you your wave placement sooner.  

What if I qualify for wave 3, but its full so I’m placed in wave 5. Is there any hope of moving up?  

Yes. As people vacate their spaces during the transfer out period, those that are already register will be moved as space allows before the people that are transferring in are placed. This is also done on a first registered first placed basis so sign up early.   

I was in wave 8 last year; this year it looks like I will be in wave 10. Why?  

If it appears you are dropping in waves from 2021, we have a reasonable explanation. First, we raced 1500 few riders in 2021 which allowed some people to ride in an early wave placement and second, when we had the wave issues in 2021 we didn’t move anyone backwards. You kept the wave you were in even though through the recalculations we did it may have scooted you back a few waves.   

Why aren’t you using overall place instead of time?  

Unfortunately, there is no perfect world and place can be just as flawed as time. For example, in 2021, with 1500 fewer riders, which means places could vary greatly over a full race year (like 2022). 

What do I need to have ready for registration?  

Just be sure to look up your times here a head of time.   You’ll need those and your average.  Sign in to your bikesignup account early. If you have issues getting signed in follow the instructions to reset your password.  

Have additional questions?  

Please email icemaninfo@iceman.com.