MAAH DAAH HEY 100 MTB
The Maah Daah Hey 100 racecourse takes you across one of the most majestic single-track adventures in the world, with miles of uninterrupted trail through the heart of the rugged Badlands. Make no mistake, this event will push competitive riders to their limits while giving every participant an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.
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race logistics
terrain
The Maah Daah Hey trail offers as many descents as it does climbs, and they are never not far apart. The earth is a unique blend of dirt, clay, sandstone, scoria, and whatever else the good Lord mixed into this epic mountain bikers’ playground. On the tops of the badlands buttes you will find flat prairie grasslands. There are also some sparsely wooded sections scattered on the trail but overall there is minimal cover from the elements. Hence the name BADLANDS.
River crossing
You will cross the Little “Muddy” Missouri River about a mile before Aid Station #2. The river bottom is mostly rocky and solid but the water level varies greatly, in August it is usually ankle to knee deep, which is why we do the race when we do. The color of the river water resembles the color of chocolate milk, but don’t drink it! Some racers take there shoes off to cross and others put a new pair of shoes and socks in their Aid 2 Drop Bag. You may check the current river level depths at this link.
aid stations
Approximately every 25 miles will be an Oasis with peppy volunteers ready to help you with food, liquids and anything else you might need. Water and Tailwind sports drink will be available at the Checkpoints located on the map below.
You will have an option to send self-packed drop bags that we will deliver to each of the Aid Stations before the race. Shaded tents, chairs, porta potties and ice cold water are just some of the things you will see. Some of the Aid Stations even have volunteer bike mechanics that may be able to help you with and your bike make it to the finish.
LODGING
If you want to camp, CCC Campground is about 30 minutes away. There are about 40 sites there, they are $7 per night, primitive, and are first come first serve (no reservations). If CCC fills up There are other similar campgrounds near by; Summit is 5 minutes away from CCC, Bennett is 20 minutes away from CCC, or Juniper in the TRNP North Unit is 25 minutes away from CCC. If you’re into showering and sleeping in a bed check out the Roosevelt Inn & Suites in Watford City, ND, BOOK HERE, our official “north end” lodging partner, with all the amenities you need. On the “south end” of the trail, book your Medora lodging accommodations through our official race partner, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. Accommodations can be booked here.
checkpoints
In addition to the Aid Stations there are 9 checkpoints where the Maah Daah Hey Trail intersects the “major” back roads. These are really your only “bailout” options on the whole trail, volunteers will be standing by at these Checkpoints to assist you. The Checkpoints can be found more frequently on the bottom half of the course, which is a big reason we race the trail from north to south. Checkpoints will be well stocked with water, and in some cases MAYBE even ice.
NO SHUTTLES!
We are NO longer providing shuttles. EVERY participant must have their own transportation to the starting line of the race. EVERY participant must have someone available to get them off the race course if they are unable to make it to the finish. Every participant must have a way to communicate with their personal transportation. This is for the safety of our participants, thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
We have never had a racer finish the 106 mile course without support and gear. What typically ends up happening is the other SAG crews feel obligated to assist which can sometimes and most often lead to hard feelings. It is the racer’s responsibility to get themselves on and off the course. It is an extremely remote and unpopulated race course with limited volunteers and staff to shuttle or help pick up racers.
finish line
Welcome to the very small group of mountain bikers in the “Maah Daah Hey in a Day Club.” At the finish line, in Medora, there will be plenty of food, drinks, and stories to share. Award Ceremonies will be held at the finish line at about 11:00, 2:00, 5:00, and 8:00 MDT. Electronic timing chips will immediately let you know if you beat the course record, made the top ten, or barely made the cut-off time. But either way you rode the “MDHx1day” and that is something to be very very proud of!
SUPPORT VEHICLES
SAG drivers can meet racers at all of the Aid Stations and Checkpoints. Because the Maah Daah Hey Trail is so remote, navigating the lonely badlands gravel roads required to be a SAG for the MDH100 is a challenging adventure of its own! That is why we offer our very detailed and “bulletproof” turn-by-turn directions for SAG drivers. Having a 4-Wheel drive vehicle is a good idea, but not completely necessary. Click here to view complete information on SAG protocol!
cut off times
All Checkpoints will have bathrooms, water, and a volunteer who you MUST check in your race number with. All Aid Stations will have bathrooms, water, food, drop bags, TAILWIND NUTRITION sports drink, and a volunteer who you MUST check in your race number with! YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK-IN AT EVERY CHECKPOINT AND AID STATION. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE RACE. ALL checkpoints and Aid Stations will close on a schedule based on a 5.8 mph average riding pace, which is what you will need to maintain to complete the MDH100 in the 18-hour cut-off time. We will have course sweepers making sure that all riders make it off the trail safely. If you choose to continue past an Aid Station or Checkpoint past the cut-off time you automatically release yourself from the event and are free to continue on at your own pace. Closing times are as follows:
checkpoints
Checkpoint Alpha: Closes at 7:45 am (MILE 9)
Aid Station 1: Closes at 11 am (MILE 25)
Checkpoint Bravo: Closes at 12:45 pm (MILE 38)
Checkpoint Charlie: Closes at 1:45 pm (MILE 44)
Aid Station 2: Closes at 3 pm (MILE 50)
Checkpoint Delta: Closes at 4 pm (MILE 57)
Checkpoint Echo: Closes at 5:30 pm (MILE 67)
Checkpoint Foxtrot: Closes at 6:15 pm (MILE 71)
Checkpoint Golf: Closes at 7 pm (MILE 75)
Aid Station 3: Closes at 8 pm (MILE 79)
Checkpoint Hotel: Closes at 9:45 pm (MILE 91)
Checkpoint India: Closes at 11 pm (MILE 98)
FINISH LINE: Closes at 12 am (MILE 107)
schedule
All times are listed in MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME! Most of the course is in the MDT zone, however, we are right on the edge of the Central Daylight Time Zone so your phones & GPS units may jump back and forth. Please plan accordingly. We recommend setting your devices on permanent MDT zone to avoid any confusion. If you’re not already confused enough, Watford City operates on CDT zone, but for simplicity: ALL RACE TIMES ARE LISTED IN MDT!!!
Thursday - Pre-race Ride
This option is now available for riders coming into Watford City a couple of days early. A group of people will be heading out onto the Maah Daah Hey for a pre-race ride. The ride will start at the MDH trailhead at the CCC Campground and climb to the top of the “Never-Ending Switchbacks,” less than 3 miles out. We will visit and take pictures and ride the 3 miles back to CCC Campground. Then head to town for food and drinks.
5pm Pre-race bike ride at CCC Campground - Maah Daah Hey Trailhead
7pm Post-race meal and Drinks SLOW RIDE Tequila Cocina, 361 Main Street South, Watford City, ND
Friday - Packet Pickup
All racers must check in at Packet Pickup the night before the race. We host packet pickup at two locations: MDH100 and MDH75 participants must pick up their packets in Watford City; MDH50, MDH25, and MDH13 participants must pick up their packets in Medora.
5pm –7pm Packet Pickup at the Roosevelt Inn & Suites (600 2nd Ave SW Watford City, ND 58854)
5pm – 7pm Packet Pickup at Finish Line Headquarters (Big White Tent) 3389 Pool Drive, Medora, ND 58645
SATURDAY
3:30 am Pilot car to the MDH50 Starting Line departs from Chimney Park
4:00 am Pilot car to the MDH75 Starting Line departs from the Roosevelt Inn
4:00 am Pilot car to the MDH25 Starting Line departs from Chimney Park
4:30 am Pilot car to the MDH100 Starting Line departs from the Roosevelt Inn
5:00 am Pilot car to the MDH13 Starting Line departs from Chimney Park
5:00 am Arrive at the starting area
5:15 – 5:45 am MANDATORY Racer Check-in at Starting Line
5:45 am Line up at starting line according to your estimated pace
5:50 am National Anthem and final instructions
6:00 am SHARP Gun Start! Pace, pace, pace yourself.
7:00 am Food Tent opens at the Finish Line Area
10:00 am MDH13 Award Ceremony & Massage tent opens at the Finish Line
11:00 am MDH25 Award Ceremony at the Finish Line
Noon - 11pm Drink Tent Hours at the Finish Line
Noon - Kid’s Strider and Training Wheel Races at the Finish Line Area (Ages 5 and Under) - Race Day Registration at the Merchandise Tent
2:30 pm KYLE BRIERLEY YOUTH RACE Starts (Ages 5 - 15) Online Registration Required
3:30 pm MDH50, Youth and Kids Award Ceremony at the Finish Line
7:00 pm MDH75 and MDH100 Award Ceremony at the Finish Line
Midnight Race Course is closed!
Drop Bags
For $5 per bag you can utilize our drop bag service. You may send your own pre-packed bag to any of our three major Aid Stations and the Finish Line. Bags may not be bigger than an average sized plastic grocery bag, they must be well sealed with a zipper, draw string, zip tie, etc… Small backpacks, small duffle bags, Ziploc bags, or other durable plastic bags all work well. All drop bags must be clearly labeled with your name, racer number, and the location you want it sent to. Bags may contain your food, sports drink mix, spare tubes, spare parts, socks, CO2, tools, etc. Please keep your bags as light as possible, 20 lbs or less, anything over will not be accepted. It helps to NOT pack items that are already offered at the Aid Stations like water, fruit, etc. At the Aid Stations your drop bags will be laid out in numerical order according to the race plate numbers. ALL DROP BAGS MUST BE APPROVED AND PLACED IN THE PROPER CONTAINER AT THE PACKET PICKUP LOCATIONS BEFORE 8PM ON FRIDAY NIGHT. No late bags will be accepted. We will have lots of drop bags to deliver to our Aid Stations, please respect and obey our guidelines. All drop bags will be returned to the finish line, AFTER EACH AID STATION CLOSES, for your retrieval. We are not responsible for any lost or stolen items in the drop bags. Any drop bags left behind can be requested to be mailed back at the owner’s expense.
MILES TO GO>>> Distance Between Checkpoints and Aid Stations>>>
Checkpoint Alpha: Mile 9
Aid Station 1: Mile 25
Checkpoint Bravo: Mile 38
Checkpoint Charlie: Mile 44
Aid Station 2: Mile 50
Checkpoint Delta: Mile 57
Checkpoint Echo: Mile 67
Checkpoint Foxtrot: Mile 71
Checkpoint Golf: Mile 75
Aid Station 3: Mile 79
Checkpoint Hotel: Mile 91
Checkpoint India: Mile 98
Finish Line: Mile 106
Awards
All finishers will receive a custom designed wood medal and all racers who finish in under 10 hours will receive a custom MDH100 belt buckle.
100 Mile Overall WINNER’S
Men’s and Women’s 1st– $1,000
Men’s and Women’s 2nd – $750
Men’s and Women’s 3rd – $500
CATEGORIES
- 7 and under boys and girls
- 8 to 12 year old boys and girls
- 13 to 19 male and female
- Men’s and Women’s 20 to 29
- Men’s and Women’s 30 to 39
- Men’s and Women’s 40 to 49
- Men’s and Women’s 50 to 59
- Men’s and Women’s 60 to 69
- Men’s and Women’s 70 and Over
- Men’s and Women’s Single Speed
- Tandem
- Relay Teams