Race Report: Cascadia Dirt Cup Round Two, Capital Forest, WA

We had another legendary weekend down in Olympia, WA: the BIRTHPLACE of Race Cascadia! Capitol Forest is where it all began, and these trails are crafted by the dedicated folks who work or volunteer for the CDC series. The community spirit here is electric, and that's really something special! *cue our joyful tears. The race was nearly sold out, and it's clear you all still have a major crush on North Slope. That means we’re doing something right!

We also kicked off the first Free For All series on Friday of race weekend, with about 50 racers toeing the line to race downhill as many laps as they could: best time counts. This was the first of three FFA’s for 2024, with the other two tied to the Raging River and the Team Enduro weekends. Register for the next one here .

Saturday saw our adult racers tackle the course under perfect skies, but Sunday had our young riders facing off against Mother Nature's wild side: an atmospheric river. More on that later.

There was a twist to the call-up schedule this round, with the Sport category getting mingled in among the Expert waves. This change turned out to be a good one because the Sport course kicked off on the west side of the mountain, while Pro/Expert launched from the East, then they switched sides. Everyone I chatted with had nothing but praise for this tweak, and I didn't spot any long lines!

The weather played nice, delivering just enough rain to make the dirt primo for Saturday. We woke up to tacky trails and grinning faces. The staging area was buzzing with lively chatter, everyone thrilled to hang with friends and ride the high from the last race while eagerly anticipating the course ahead. After a massive racer's meeting, the Pro Women zoomed off first, followed by Pro Men, Vets, and the U21 categories. Then it was time for the Expert, Sport, and Beginner categories to strut their stuff.

Racers didn’t have long to pedal before dropping into their first stage of the day: Mr Bones. A new section of trail was built at the top that begins just below the start of Low Key. It parallels the road, and is a very fun addition to an already great trail. If you've tackled Mr. Bones before, you know just how exhausting the climb out can be... and these troopers pedaled that road twice throughout the day!

Meanwhile, Sport took off toward Living the Dream, their first stage of the day. The trail stewards put in a lot of hard work to extend the bottom of the trail, which now boasts a new longer exit. Tables and Berms await! Thanks to all the volunteers for their hard work.

If you raced “Living the Dream,” you know just how deceptively slick that top berm can be in the above photo! A few riders found themselves sliding out before navigating the final turns to reach the finish line just a bit further down.

Just look at that smile! Someone's having an absolute blast on their bike. Julie Hahn, 2nd place: Sport 50 and over.

The race couldn't have gone better with picture-perfect weather and a seamlessly executed event. The only casualty of the day was an unfortunate bike seat, which decided to retire early—no ifs, ands, or butts about it!

As for our champions, in the Women's category, Amy Morrison took 1st place, followed by Ingrid Larouche in 2nd, Hazel Donnelly in 3rd, Sara Fillat in 4th, and Claire Kushnik in 5th.

On the men's side, Johnathan Helly clinched 1st place, with John Richardson in 2nd, Keith Robert in 3rd, Liam Trewhitt in 4th, and Charlie Connell rounding out the top 5.

Remember earlier when I mentioned an Atmospheric River? Well, that’s exactly what Mother Nature brought to the table for the young ones. Sunday’s youth day started with a massive spread of rain that was steady throughout the whole day, and yes, the race still went on! These young riders are fearless; they didn’t let the rain stop them from racing!

It was definitely a character-building experience, and one that will not be easily forgotten. Sometimes it’s through the tough days that we gain the strength to deal with life’s challenges. The Jr. Expert course followed the same route as Saturday’s course, and the same went for Sport and Beginners.

The Youth LITE course featured an even easier stage for the kids just getting into mountain biking, following a Green trail. Despite the downpour, these young athletes showed incredible resilience and determination, making for an unforgettable race day.

Congratulations to all the riders for an exhilarating and memorable race day!

Feeling inspired? Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action! Join us for the next enduro race (and Free for All!) at Raging River near Seattle, WA on June 29-30th. Whether you’re a seasoned racer or new to the sport, there’s a course for everyone. Come for the challenge, stay for the camaraderie, and leave with memories that will last a lifetime. See you at the starting line!

Full results can be found here.

If you'd like to see your race featured on Bike Mag, reach out!

Words: Heather Carter for the CDC

Photos: Heather Carter and Cayman Waughtel