Photo: Herb Swanson

The CircumBurke challenge is an 24 mile endurance challenge and will begin at 10:00AM for bikes on October 28th; and runners shortly thereafter.

The challenge takes place primarily on the Kingdom Trails in East Burke, Vermont. The route brings riders through a wild and rarely experienced corner of the Northeast Kingdom. The 2012 adventure encourages fun and camaraderie as well as spirited competition. Proceeds from entry fees are invested in trail improvements along the route and other areas in the Kingdom Trails network. This year’s event promises a longer route and some new single track. Timed results as well as finish order will be posted after the event. Last year all finishers received an CircumBurke beer glass made in Vermont, thanks to the generosity of Catamount Glassworks.

The course begins at Sherburne Lodge at Burke Mountain Resort, the loop climbs counterclockwise around Burke Mountain and Umpire mountains on the Kingdom Trails system as well as on state trails, logging roads and private trails. The trails through Victory include 5 miles of new single track and provide a rare opportunity for cyclists and runners to experience “the wild side” of Burke Mountain in the town of Victory – one of the last towns in the United States to obtain electricity. This is old school mountain biking, with rough sections and at least one stream section, which requires dismounting and shouldering bikes.

The format of the event is a mass start “challenge”, with food/aid stations located approximately every 5 miles. Most participants focus on simply completing the event, although some are competitive.

A two-lap mile enduro category is also being offered for cyclists. There will be a time cut-off at around 2.5 hours (depending on course details – this option is intended for fast riders) for the first lap for any Enduro riders wishing to continue o the second lap. During the second lap, EMT/AID stations will be mostly unsupported. If less than 10 Enduro riders are registered this division will be cancelled and all riders will ride the one lap event – in order to reduce the burden on Kingdom Trails EMT staff and course sweepers.

To register or for more information, please visit the official event website.