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:
NO ONE is allowed on the airport property until race day per FAA regulations
Be aware of your surroundings while biking this course
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.
This year the overall Iceman Junior Men & Junior Women riders will receive gift cards and swag from local bike shops valued at over $1000.
In addition, gift cards will be awarded to 1st through 5th place, along with medals for each category in the Junior Iceman.
Overall winners and first place winners will also be awarded with an Iceman Cometh Jersey by Borah. Over $6,000 in prizes will be awarded to our Junior Riders in 2022.
Here is the breakdown: Overall Junior Men/Women Winner: $1000 in gift cards 1 st Place: $200 in gift cards 2 nd Place: $150 in gift cards 3 rd Place: $100 in gift cards 4 th Place: $50 in gift cards 5 th Place: $25 in gift cards
This marks the largest increase in Junior Prizes since the inception of the Iceman Junior.
This is a guest post by the overall junior women’s winner 2021, Lyllie Sonnemann
Hi! My name is Lyllie Sonnemann, and I really like bikes.
My favorite thing about bikes is the places they take you and the people you meet through them. Although I’ve been riding since before I can remember, I didn’t start racing bikes until I discovered cyclocross races when I was 10 (I’m now 14). When the pandemic started, I got my first mountain bike, and now I race both MTB and CX. I was privileged last year to have the opportunity to ride and race bikes all over the country, and it was amazing. I got to see so many different landscapes (like the Colorado Rocky Mountains), eat lots of delicious foods on my rides (the tacos in Tucson, Arizona are the best!), and learned lots of lessons (try not to fall off your bike onto a cactus, ouch!). I raced in 6 different states, competed in 30+ races, and the Iceman was one of my favorites. Although I did my first Snow-Cone at age 7 (and several Slush Cups after that), I didn’t realize it was a real race until my second Slush Cup. After finishing and learning that it wasn’t just an organized ride in the woods, I remember asking, “I was supposed to go fast?!” I didn’t care about whether I was at the front or the back, I was interested in having fun, and I sure did. I’ve started to love the competitive aspect of bike racing, but my top goal in each race is to have fun. I have a blast each November flying down the descents, making my way through the sand, and pushing myself to the top of climbs. The atmosphere and community also make this race one of the best, and I’m already counting down the days until this November!
If you would like to share your Iceman story, please email your story and photos to Fanphotos@iceman.com
Whether you are looking for a spot in the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge presented by TREK or need to give your spot up, here are our most asked questions regarding transfers.
Can I transfer out?
Riders can apply to transfer out starting August 1, 2022 until September 15, 2022. Once transfers close no additional applications will be accepted.
How will I know if my transfer out application is accepted?
There are several ways to see if your transfer out application is accepted. (1) Keep an eye on your financial account, if we process your transfer out request you will receive your fee back less $20. (2) Sign in to you’re your Bike SignUp account by going to iceman.com and clicking on the register button. You will be able to see if your race entry is still active or (3) you can search for your name on the front end of the website to see if you are still listed.
Can I transfer my entry to a friend?
No. We use a first come first served basis on transfers. Your place will be offered to the next available person on the waitlist, once they accept it then you will receive the refund.
Transferring In
I’m on the waitlist, what can I expect?
If you are transferring in, starting in August watch your inbox closely for emails from “runsignup”. These emails will say a place has been reserved for you. You will have the day you received the email and the next day until midnight to claim your spot. If you miss this email, you will remain on the list but will go to the end of the list.
What are my chances of getting in the race?
It’s hard to say, as it all depends on the amount of people that are transferring out, but last year every person on the list was offered a spot at least once.
Tips and tricks?
Go to iceman.com and click on register. Sign in to your account and make sure the email on your account is up to date. That is the email we will be sending the reserved entry to during the transfer period.
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.
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.
Join us for the 33rd edition of the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge presented by TREK in 2022 on Saturday, November 5. Registration for riders that were registered in 2021 will open Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 9:00amMIDNIGHT (watch for a link in your inbox closer to March 1) and open to everyone starting Friday, March 4, 2022 at 9:00am.
New Wave Placement System!
You spoke and we listened. After spending the last few months researching other large races (such as the American Birkenbeiner) and how they place waves; we have a new system for the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge. You can choose any wave that you qualify for and waves will be filled on a first registered first placed basis. Register early. Keep reading to learn how to qualify, what times you need to ride in which waves and quick FAQ to help with any questions out of the gate.
How to qualify:
Pull your results from the last 5 races (2021,2019-2016). Choose the best three and average them together. This average is your qualifying time. Be sure to hold on to all of this data as you will be asked for it during the registration process. And to save time during the registration process, please determine your best times and average before you log in to register. You can find your results here.
What times standards for each wave:
Below are the qualifying time standards for each wave. Please note that whichever wave you qualify for, you can also request any wave after that. For example, if you qualify for wave 10, you also qualify for waves 11-48.
Wave Place
Wave Time Requirements
Wave 1
Faster than
1:51:38
Wave 2
Faster than
1:55:31
Wave 3
Faster than
1:58:44
Wave 4
Faster than
2:01:50
Wave 5
Faster than
2:04:25
Wave 6
Faster than
2:06:49
Wave 7
Faster than
2:09:01
Wave 8
Faster than
2:11:13
Wave 9
Faster than
2:13:14
Wave 10
Faster than
2:15:15
Wave 11
Faster than
2:17:10
Wave 12
Faster than
2:19:03
Wave 13
Faster than
2:20:59
Wave 14
Faster than
2:22:46
Wave 15
Faster than
2:24:57
Wave 16
Faster than
2:26:56
Wave 17
Faster than
2:29:03
Wave 18
Faster than
2:31:13
Wave 19
Faster than
2:33:16
Wave 20
Faster than
2:35:19
Wave 21
Faster than
2:37:32
Wave 22
Faster than
2:39:45
Wave 23
Faster than
2:41:57
Wave 24
Faster than
2:44:09
Wave 25
Faster than
2:47:36
Wave 26
Faster than
2:51:03
Wave 27
Faster than
2:53:51
Wave 28
Faster than
2:56:42
Wave 29
Faster than
2:59:47
Or First Time Rider
Wave 30
Faster than
3:03:12
Or First Time Rider
Wave 31
Faster than
3:06:52
Or First Time Rider
Wave 32
Faster than
3:10:46
Or First Time Rider
Wave 33
Faster than
3:15:24
Or First Time Rider
Wave 34
Faster than
3:20:03
Or First Time Rider
Wave 35
Faster than
3:25:34
Or First Time Rider
Wave 36
Faster than
3:33:43
Or First Time Rider
Wave 37
Faster than
3:44:34
Or First Time Rider
Wave 38
3:44:35
Or Slower
Or First Time Rider
Wave 39
First Time Rider
Wave 40
First Time Rider
Wave 41
First Time Rider
Wave 42
First Time Rider
Wave 43
First Time Rider
Wave 44
First Time Rider
Wave 45
First Time Rider
Wave 46
First Time Rider
Wave 47
First Time Rider
Wave 48
First Time Rider
FAQ – Wave Placement
What happens if I qualify for a wave and its full?
First, we are going to do our best to update waves as quickly as possible so we can communicate which waves are still open. However, it is manual process so it may take us a few days to verify times and place you in your correct wave. If the wave you qualified for and wanted is full, you will be automatically placed in the next available wave.
What if I only have one or two races completed out of the last five years?
Please average the times you do have from 2017-2019 & 2021 and use this number as your qualifying time.
I’d like to ride with my significant other, best friend, aunt, 3rd cousin twice removed, etc. Can we do that?
Yes, you can all apply for the same wave as long as you all qualify for that wave. In other words, base your wave request off of the person with the slowest times in your group.
I am a first-time rider. Any advice?
Spots are available in wave 29 and back for first time riders. Please choose the wave you’d like to be in. If you feel that you should be placed in a faster wave. You will have an opportunity to reach out in the late summer/early fall to request a placement change. This will occur after the transfer out/transfer in period has concluded.
My son/daughter is riding in Iceman Junior, can I ride with them?
While Bell’s Iceman Cometh, Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge Pro Race, and Iceman Junior may all follow the same course; they are separate races. Your child should be comfortable with the 30 mile course before taking to the race. If you or your child is not comfortable with the race course, we can easily transfer them to the Meijer Slush Cup.
We are here to answer your questions. If there is something you think would be valuable for us to share please comment on the blog or email icemaninfo@iceman.com and we will get your questions answered. You’ll also be able to find this information at www.iceman.com/waves.
What an amazing year Iceman has had and it is all owed to the Iceman Community. It’s hard to put in to words the impact that this group of 5000+ riders means to the Iceman Cometh organization, but we will try our best. Together, registered riders donated enough sno-cone registrations to ensure that the race for our littlest mountain bikers will be complimentary for at least the next three years. THREE YEARS!
Riders also donated over $24,000 during the registration process to fund a donation to Grand Traverse Land Conservancy District for all the work they do preserving our trails and natural lands so we can continue to use them for years to come. Since this dollar amount exceeded our initial ask by over 100%, we are able to use additional funds to support the biking community through donations to other nonprofits and area programs. We are so thankful that you stepped up to help us out, not only in 2020 but also this year as we recover from the pandemic.
Thank you for the memories and we can’t wait to make more with you in 2022. Full onsite registration will open March 4, 2022. Next year’s Ice Cycle Expo is scheduled for November 4, 2022 with the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge taking to the trails on November 5, 2022.
The Iceman Cometh Challenge is for everyone. We want to do more to increase the diversity of our field, and this year, we’re taking the first step to get more women racing.
Women have played a part of this race since its very beginning. For more than thirty years, the race day experienced has been enriched by female athletes at every level and in every age group. Behind the scenes, women are our most valuable volunteers, our smartest committee members, and the real reason we have a race that’s turned into one of the largest in the country.
Still, we need to more to get them involved not just in the Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge but into our sport as a whole. As of right now, 13% of our field are women, and we want to do better. We’re looking at long-term solution to meet a goal I set back in 2018; I want to have 100 women in the Pro field.
It’s not just about being fast. Women do a far better job in building community and connections that support and empower. By getting more women from this level of the sport in Traverse City and connected to our event year-round, we hope to foster those same connections, that same camaraderie, and that same inspiration riders like Katherine Nash, Chloe Woodruff, and others have offered in years past.
That’s why this year, women can race in our Pro event for free. There are some caveats; the offer is open only to those who would be making their first start in the Pro category; if you’ve raced with us before at that level, you know it’s a great experience and we hope we can get you back even if you need to pay. You also must have a valid annual Pro/Cat 1 USA Cycling license, which is a requirement for all our Pro athletes.
We hope this might encourage more women to make the trip to Traverse City and join us on November 6, 2021 for the first time. Additionally, we also hope this might lure some of our strong and consistent age group winners to step up to the Pro race, which will in turn open up new competition and podium spots for other women. That’s always encouraging!
Our hope is that the best and fastest from both the men’s and women’s fields will slowly make the move to the Pro races; it should be a point of pride to be one of the top hundred fastest riders and to storm into the finish at Timber Ridge Resort the shouts and applause of 10,000 spectators! If you’re a Pro woman ready to take the start line with us, please contact icemaninfo@iceman.com or csovis@iceman.com.
