WILD WEST FEST
– 22 & 45 MILE MARATHON

Come join us for an awesome weekend at the Wild West MTB Fest in Ruidoso in October! Great trails, fun event options, live music, and vendors, it all adds up to a fun weekend!

About the race
Race Details
Schedule
Media

About the Race

After years of holding a 6 and 12 hour event in Ruidoso, we feel like it is time for a change. We added a 40 mile marathon option in 2021, and people loved it. So, we are doubling down on this event by adding a shorter but equally awesome 22 mile option. We want everyone to be racing in the daylight and warmer hours of the day. It also leaves more time for fun and shenanigans in the evening where we will hold a celebration with live music and beer garden at Wingfield Park in the heart of Ruidoso. Stay tuned as we add more details about this aspect of the event.

People rave about the trails in Ruidoso, and you’ll soon see why. Shred on singletrack with semi-technical switchbacks and enjoy phenomenal flowy descending through the ponderosa pines. And don’t forget about the amazing views along the trails. From weekend-riders to professional grinders, Wild West Fest Weekend is fun for all. Plus, the event is so close to the Village of Ruidoso that you can roll to the start of the race from some of the hotels in town (or roll into town and get some grub after!). We hope to see you there!

Race Details

FEES & DEADLINES

Early Bird (register by May 31)

$100 (t-shirt included)

Regular (register July 31)

$110 (t-shirt included)

Regular Plus (register by September 23)

$120 (t-shirt included)

Late (register by October 17)

$130 (no t-shirt included)

Discounts

Juniors (under 18): Half price at checkout

Full-Time College Students: Half price at checkout (email Seth at elcapitan@ziarides.com for the promo code)

TRANSFERS, CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS

NORMAL POLICY:

Refunds are not offered but we totally understand that life happens. If you need to adjust your plans, we have several alternatives set up to make life easy for you and to ensure the event goes on for our other racers.

Transfers

Transfer your registration to another rider in BikeReg by September 18.
- Edit your entry to provide the new rider’s email address and also change any other information on the event to placeholders (i.e. “edit this”) if you don’t want your information to be visible to the new rider.
- If you don’t have your edit link, you can request one here: https://www.bikereg.com/edit/48195
- Once you’ve updated your entry and saved changes, go to the above link and put in the new rider’s email address and click “Send me a link to edit my entry”
- They’ll receive a link they can use to edit the information on the entry to be theirs instead of yours.
Transfer your registration to another race. Email Seth at elcapitan@ziarides.com by August 31. We will send you a registration code to be used for another Zia Rides event minus a $10 transfer fee.
If you want to be able to request a refund, then buy the race insurance available from Alliance through BikeReg. It is not expensive, and it ensures that if you get hurt, sick, or something comes up, you are able to request a refund.

Changes

BikeReg will allow you to make some changes. Login to your registration on BikeReg or request the ability to edit at: https://www.bikereg.com/edit/48195

Cancellations

The safety of you, your crew, and our wonderful staff is the most important thing to us at Zia Rides! If a race must be cancelled or shortened due to Mother Nature or other uncontrollable circumstances, refunds will not be issued. Unfortunately, the money has already been spent and we still have to pay for the event whether it happens or not.

PRIZES

For the MTB event, prizes will be awarded to the top three racers in each category and to the fastest male and female lap.

We realize that fast runners and riders are not the only people that make our events awesome. We want to see the fun folks that give our events spirit on the podium as well. These awards are a work in progress and will be awarded to individuals through your nominations. Nominate your fellow competitors at the SWAG booth and let us know which awards we should keep around!

Congeniality Award: Awarded to the most courteous rider on the course

Most Fun Rider Award: Awarded to the rider with the most spirit (Anders is not eligible to compete!)

Endo Award: Awarded to the rider with the worst luck

Beer Garden Appreciation Award: Awarded to the biggest spender at the beer garden

Best Costume Award: Awarded to the rider who completes at least one lap in their goofy getup

Best Classic Bike Award: Awarded to the rider who completes at least one lap on a vintage bike

Best Mustache Award: Awarded to the rider with the best facial hair

Best Hype Man/Women Award: Awarded to the most enthusiastic supporter

Best Volunteer Award: Awarded to your favorite Zia Rides volunteer

Best Camp Award: Awarded to the camp with the best decorated tent

Best Family Award: Awarded to one of the awesome families at our race

Oldest Rider Award: Awarded to the oldest rider

Youngest Rider Award: Awarded to the youngest rider

Furthest Traveled Award: Awarded to the rider who travels the longest way to be here

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Sign Up

We always need volunteers! In return for your time we promise you food, SWAG, and our undying gratitude. Please visit the link above to see what volunteer opportunities are available and sign up.

STAGING AREA, CAMPING, & HOTEL

PARKING

There is limited space in the staging area. To help control numbers in the staging area, we will be limiting the amount of space allowed to each rider. We will also be charging for parking passes to cover the entire weekend:

DIRECTIONS

Google Maps Link to Grindstone Lake

From Ruidoso, head south on Grindstone Canyon Rd. Continue straight onto Resort Dr. You will see signs directing you to the staging area on Resort Dr., which is below Grindstone Lake Dam on the Frisbee Golf Course. Make sure to bring your frisbees, and we will see you there! Or simply follow the link to Grindstone Stables.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Camping at Staging Area

Zia Rides has been given permission to camp by Grindstone Lake. There is a designated area for tent camping and a designated area for RVs. Camping opens Friday at noon and closes Sunday at 2 PM. You can’t show up early, and you can’t stay late! Make sure to bring your Frisbee and hammock for ultimate lake fun.

To maximize space, we ask that you carpool and try to keep your RV in a single parking space. We will not allow RVs to park horizontally across multiple parking spaces. If you can’t park your RV vertically into a single parking space, we ask that you leave it at home. There is potable water at the camp and showers available at the Ruidoso Athletic Club, however there is no electricity. Zia Rides will provide dumpsters and additional porta potties so that you can dispose all your waste properly!

Hotels

There are numerous hotels to choose from in Ruidoso. Grindstone Lake is close enough to the Village of Ruidoso to walk or ride your bike from some of the hotels to the start of the race!

COURSE DESCRIPTION

40-45 Mile Course Description

Start at Wingfield Park (a change from last time) with a neutral rollout through town that will take you north to the Cedar Crest trail network. Complete a loop of the southern side of the trail network followed by the northern side of the trail network. Drop out on Cedar Creek Rd and head to the very end of the road where you will take Perk Connector Trail to Perk Canyon Trail. You’ll come back out closer to Grindstone trail and will take surface streets back over to Grindstone where you will complete the entire loop of the 12 hour course and finish below the dam.

The 2023 course will be slightly different from the one below. We are still working to maximize all of the trails in Ruidoso. With some new additions and reroutes, the course will be slightly different than what is shown on the map.

Wild West 40 course map

40 Miler Strava file

40 Miler GPX

22 Mile Course Description

Everything above without the Grindstone trail loop. You simply head back to the start at Wingfield Park. New maps coming.

6 and 12 Hour course description – not happening in 2023

The 12-hour course is 11.6 mi., includes 1,200 ft. of climbing, and the elevation is 6,950 ft. This course runs counterclockwise and uses the Grindstone Lake Trail System, which is just minutes from the heart of Ruidoso. The trail has moderate climbing for the first four miles that is followed by some of the sickest descending you will ever attempt. You can rip through the ponderosa pines and enjoy awesome, flowy, purpose-built singletrack.

The 6-hour course is 7 mi. and follows the inner loop of the Grindstone Lake Trail System. It has fewer technical elements, less climbing, but still has some killer descending for you to navigate. Come check out why everyone raves about this trail!

Wild West course map (3)

6-Hour Course Details

12-Hour Course Details

Strava File

Fun MTB Crit Description – not happening in 2023

NOT HAPPENING IN 2021. Compete on a short course through the streets, bike paths, stairways and buildings in Midtown Ruidoso. This is meant to be a fun, viewer friendly event where spectators can cheer you on from the sidewalks and streets of Midtown. More details to come. This event will be free in 2020!

MTB Fun Crit in Midtown Ruidoso – coming soon

Pedally Enduro Course Description – not happening in 2023

What’s a pedally enduro? It’s an enduro where general trail bike fitness and skills are rewarded as much as downhill skills. Anyone can ride this course, but only some will be able to ride it fast. And, yes, you will actually have to pedal your bike in sections. Grindstone Lake has three options from the top of the mesa down, and all of them lose about 1000 feet of elevation over 5 miles. We plan to use all three with riders pedaling up on the Forest Service Rd that connects to them all. While all of the options down are mostly downhill, you certainly need to be able to pedal your bike on some short uphill sections interspersed throughout the course, so don’t slack on your interval sprint training. This is rugged single track, and nimble bike handling is required. We expect all participants to stay on trail and treat the trails with respect. If you are enduro curios or simply prefer technical challenges when you race mountain bikes, this is great way to get started.

Wild West enduro map (3)

RACE RULES

The racer or team that completes the most laps in the least amount of time, before 24 hours, wins.

Be nice to your camp neighbors and fellow riders.
No Littering: we spent a lot of time building these trails. Please treat them with respect. Any racer found intentionally littering the course will be disqualified.
Helmets: required when on the bicycle at anytime, whether racing or not.
Course Food/Water Support: any person may supply a racer on the course with food and water.
Course Mechanical Support: on the course racers may only receive mechanical assistance from another registered racer. A rider providing assistance to another rider must have entered the course under their own power, either on foot or on a bicycle, not by motorized vehicle. Short-cutting the course is not allowed. Any rider who has entered the course in support of another may bring equipment and tools and may even swap bikes with the rider in need of support. The cannibalizing of bikes is permitted.
Canceling a Lap: once on course, a racer is expected to complete the lap. However, should the racer be unable to complete the lap for any reason, including injury, a teammate may restart the lap. If a teammate restarts the lap, the original racer is not permitted to go through the timing gate for that lap. Soloists are S.O.L.
Co-ed Teams: all co-ed teams are required to have a minimum of one person of the opposite sex. In order to be on the podium, there can not be a difference of more than 2 laps completed between teammates. Translastion: if she does 6 laps, he has to do at least 4. Sorry, no one and done like some races.
Team Laps: each team member is required to complete at least one lap, except in the case of a report of occurrence (confirmation of an injury).
Passing Etiquette: (A) Racers riding bicycles have the right of way over racers pushing bicycles. When practical, racers pushing should stay on the least rideable portion of the path when being passed. A racer pushing or carrying his bicycle can overtake a racer riding his bicycle provided he does not interfere with the rider’s progress. (B) Lapped riders must yield to overtaking riders. Riders should clearly voice the command “Track, on your left, I’d like to pass,” etc, when overtaking another rider. (C) Riders being passed must move over as quickly and efficiently as safely as possible. (D) It is the responsibility of the passing rider to overtake safely. (E) In the event two riders are vying for position, the leading rider does not have to yield his position to the challenging rider. However, a rider may not bodily interfere with the intent to impede another rider’s progress. (F) Traditional rules of racing apply: the leading rider owns the track.
Course Cutting: any attempt to cut the course will result in immediate disqualification of that racer’s entire team.
Bad Attitudes: if there are two or more complaints about unsportsmanlike behavior the racer and his or her team will be disqualified from the race, asked to leave the venue, and will not be welcome at future events. We will also talk smack about you. Refer to rule #1.
Penalties: all penalties are determined on a case-by case basis by the Race Directora.
Assholes will be disqualified.
Act of God: In the case of catastrophic failure due to weather or another extenuating circumstance that prevents the ongoing scoring of the event or creates a racing environment that is deemed too dangerous for the participants, the race may be called as of a certain time, or postponed and restarted, or any other way we damn well please.
Protests: must be in writing and submitted to the Race Director no later than one hour after the final race result posting. Protests should describe the incident in detail and contain names, addresses, phone numbers and signatures of participants and witnesses to the incident. A $20.00 cash deposit must accompany all protests. The Race Directora shall make a ruling on the protest within 24 hours. Should the ruling be against the team the deposit will be forfeited. If the ruling is in favor of the team and the protest upheld, the deposit shall be refunded.