Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The inaugural Central MO Circuit event, which started last Friday, was designed as a 340-mile introduction to ultra-endurance racing. Find a brief recap from organizer Kayce Peters alongside some post-race reflections from two of the fastest riders here…
Words and photos by Kayce Peters, additional photos from Zach Smith
This past weekend, Midwestern cycling witnessed the inaugural Central MO Circuit. This bikepacking-inspired race covered 340 miles with 24,000 feet of climbing. Starting in Columbia, Missouri, 21 racers faced endless rolling hills over a variety of gravel, some pavement, and at least one flooded river. I built this event as a way for newer riders to experience bikepack racing or as a big single push for the more experienced. Both of these goals were achieved.
Andrew Onermaa (first place overall) and Nick Leonard (second place overall) rode straight through without sleeping to achieve incredible times. Andrew, the mastermind behind the aptly named Doom race, came wanting one more huge effort before taking on the upcoming Tour Divide on his singlespeed. Nick had a dead shifter and broken handlebars for the last 50 miles but still got over the hump of a couple of prior DNFs in ultra-distance events while besting his goal time. Josh Cowley (third overall) is a new ultra racer. He broke the ride up over two days and finished just before sunset on day two. He also won the coveted prize of first local rider to finish, having the biggest and rowdiest cheering section at the finish.
The women’s field had a variety of racers, too. Nichole Baker (first-place women) is a very experienced rider but is new to this type of distance. Her rolling average speed was very high and a full sleep helped her continue fast on the second day. Nichole’s two big days landed her the win and good prep for Vapor Trail 125. Melissa Bird steadily rode straight through with efficient stops to secure herself a second-place finish. She was the only rider in the women’s group to not sleep. Third-place finisher Jaime Wilgar used her background in cyclocross racing to help her round out the podium spots. She took a three-hour nap on a picnic table as the sun was rising on day two before continuing on to a strong finish.
Every rider had lots of great stories and experiences from the trail to share at the finish. I am so thankful and happy for all 21 people who made it to the start line of this first event. I wish there was room to tell you about each of them.
Andrew Onerma: “Rad outing seeing a bunch of new terrain! Kayce whipped up some technical singletrack/hiking trail connectors, some grass field shenanigans, a few creek crossings, and an absurd amount of rolling roads with a few scattered sustained climbs. The course ended up being much more physically demanding than what I anticipated, especially with so many sectors of freshly laid out gravel that rattled the bones. A full-value 341 miles with over 24,000 ft of elevation!”
Nichole Baker: “This was my first ultra-race experience, and it definitely challenged me in new ways. I’ve been more of a mountain bike adventure rider over the years but decided this winter to set a new goal of racing the Vapor Trail 125. We spend the springs in northwest Arkansas, so when I heard about the new Mid Missouri Circuit race, it seemed like a great opportunity to learn about pushing really long days, practicing riding at night, etc. I have many friends that bikepack race, so I knew it would be hard, but it was even harder than I expected. I’m so toast today! The route was beautiful, but the rolling climbs were definitely relentless, too, and the heat on day two was brutal. I wanted to be smart about taking care of myself, so I had the plan to get some decent sleep overnight. That meant I was in chase mode most of the second day, and it really took everything I had to catch the overnight leader Melissa Byrd. She was a machine. Everyone who finished this thing is a badass. Bikepackers are so tough!”
2025 Central MO Circuit Results
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1st Overall: Andrew Onermaa (1D:34M)
2nd Overall: Nick Leonard (1D:2H:37M)
3rd Overall: Josh Crowley (1D:11H:3M)
1st Woman: Nichole Baker (1D:12H:46M)
2nd Woman: Melissa Byrd (1D:14H:4M)
3rd Woman: Jamie Wilger (1D:16H:49M)
Central MO Circuit Route
Further Reading
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