Ruth Edwards and Alexey Vermeulen take wins at 40th annual Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek

September 16, 2023

Cable, Wis., (Sept. 16, 2023) – The 2023 Life Time ​​Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek, owned and produced by Life Time (NYSE: LTH), brought 2,800 riders to northern Wisconsin on Saturday. In the competitive professional division–part of the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda–Ruth Edwards and Alexey Vermeulen won the 40-mile race, while amateurs from all walks of life tested themselves on the 40-mile or 16-mile courses and the Little Loggers kids loop.

“We enjoyed welcoming all riders and spectators to the Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek in its 40th year,” said Peter Spencer, Event Manager at Life Time. “The local communities, volunteers and entire race staff were proud to go above and beyond to provide a memorable experience for all who make the trek to revel in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.”

This unique point-to-point course begins in downtown Hayward, Wis. and follows parts of the famed American Birkie Cross-country Ski Trail, taking racers on forest roads and snowmobile trails with short, punchy climbs throughout Sawyer and Bayfield counties to the finish line at the Great Hall in Cable, Wis.

Hannah Otto pushed the pace early in the race with a large group of more than 20 women staying together through the first 11 miles. The group gradually got whittled down with Alexa Skarda, Ruth Edwards, and Jenna Rinehart leading through mile 23. Edwards and Rinehart managed to gain a nearly 2 minute lead with Edwards beating Skarda in a sprint to the finish line. Sofia Gomez Villafane placed third and retains her lead in the Life Tie Grand Prix standings.

The men’s race also stayed together early on, with Keegan Swenson, Alexey Vermeluen, and Peter Stetina all well placed through mile 11, but shortly after former Chequamegon winner Brian Matter broke off the front and gained 20 seconds. Matter was brought back by the group by mile 23. A large group of more than 10 riders stayed together until the end, with former Chequamegon winner Vermeulen winning the field sprint. Swenson placed second and retains his grasp as the Life Time Grand Prix leader.

Chequamegon 40 Women’s Race Results

Chequamegon 40 Men’s Race Results

Chequamegon 40 Non-Binary Race Results

Short and Fat 16 Women’s Race Results

Short and Fat 16 Men’s Race Results

Short and Fat Non-Binary Race Results

Full race results can be found here.

The Chequamegon MTB Festival is the fifth event in the Life Time Grand Prix series presented by Mazda. The next event in the series will be Life Time’s The Rad Dirt Fest presented by Wahoo in Trinidad, Colo. on Saturday, Sept. 30. The series will be capped off on Oct. 21 with the Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda in Bentonville, Ark., part of the Life Time Big Sugar Classic.

To view the current standings and learn more about the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda, visit www.lifetimegrandprix.com. To view all Life Time athletic events, visit: my.lifetime.life/athletic-events.

About Life Time^®

Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of nearly 160 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The company’s healthy way of life communities and ecosystem address all aspects of healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment for people 90 days to 90+ years old. Supported by a team of more than 30,000 dedicated professionals, Life Time is committed to providing the best programs and experiences through its clubs, iconic athletic events and comprehensive digital platform.

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Media Contact: Ryan Simonovich | ryan@verdepr.com

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