JUST SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THE HOODOO 500
IS THE BEST ULTRACYCLING RACE ON THE PLANET
Logistics:
The route is a perfect loop, starting and finishing in beautiful St. George, Utah.
Event headquarters is a nice, clean, roomy, modern and very reasonably priced hotel. The check in, meeting, start and finish lines, and awards banquet are all in one central location.
St. George is about ninety minutes from Las Vegas and only a five to six hour drive from most of southern California. You can fly directly to St. George or take an inexpensive shuttle from Las Vegas. Rental vehicles are readily available in either location.
The Route:
Not a single inch of the route is repeated. The scenery is amazing. The route goes through, around or by three National Parks: Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef; three National Monuments: Pipe Springs, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Cedar Breaks; countless Utah State Parks including Anasazi, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kodachrome and Snow Canyon, and meanders in and out of the Dixie National Forest.
Other than the very short stretches of road getting in and out of St. George and Cedar City, and the ten or so miles before Panguitch, traffic on most of the route is virtually non-existent. There are only a handful of traffic lights and stop signs, and zero urban blight.
Road conditions are stellar! Utah takes wonderful care of their roads and highways. Generally speaking, the pavement is smooth, without potholes or expansion gaps or long stretches of rough road where cracks have been filled in but remain bumpy and uneven. The roads are virtually litter and glass free!
The Race Format:
Team Riders choose their own strategies. There are few restrictions on when or how often riders may exchange. A team may have one, two, three or four riders on the course at the same time, in a team paceline, and competing teams may draft each other). It’s a ton of fun! Looking for teammates? Post a message on the Hoodoo 500 blog. Be sure and include your contact info.
Solo and relay teams may bring an unlimited number of crew members and up to two crew vehicles. This allows riders to have fresh and alert crew members at all times (which is especially important on the second day, in all hours of darkness, and for those riders who may take more than 40 hours to complete the course).
When the event is over, we’ll all enjoy the Awards Banquet – a buffet brunch, fun awards and sharing of newly created, but long-lasting memories of the awesome Hoodoo 500 experience!
Stage Option:
Not a fan of riding without sleep? Our stage option breaks up the route into three segments so not only can you see the entire course in daylight (which is awesome!!!), you get to sleep in a nice hotel bed twice! Stage riders can get a hot meal for dinner and breakfast, a hot shower and a cozy bed, and spend time each evening sharing stories and getting to know the competition. Super fun, super challenging, but slightly more relaxed and definitely more fun for those who prefer not to ride through the night!
Reasonable Entry Fees:
Compared to the other similar events in the Western U.S., you’ll save as much as $175 on your solo entry, $390 on your tandem or 2-person relay team entry and a whopping $640 on your 2-tandem or 4-person relay team entry. In addition to the savings on entry fees, you’ll also save money on fuel, food and hotels; all of which are significantly less expensive in Utah.
AND IF YOU DON’T FEEL READY FOR THE FULL 500
HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD COME RIDE THE HOODOO 300
Same logistics, covers the same route (but not ALL of it, obviously), same super-friendly relay team rules. Your ride. Your strategy.
The Hoodoo 300 is the perfect introduction to ultra distance cycling. Challenge yourself beyond a double century; but not more than double the double. Learn to work with a crew; or fend for yourself for 24 hours in remote locations. Meet the 500 riders. Ask them questions, hear their stories, get inspired. Join the fun. It’s a great event on a great route surrounded by the most wonderful group of new friends you didn’t know you had.