The Drift 100 overall winner has always been a male biker, until this year when Shalane Frost, a 35-year-old woman from Fairbanks Alaska, crossed the finish line in first place on her skies in only 23:21:36. The second-place overall finisher was male biker Edyn Teitge, who at age 14 is the youngest athlete to ever complete the marathon. The teen from Hailey, Idaho completed the race in 23:55. Pulling into third place on her bike was Ginny Robbins, from Victor, Idaho. No stranger to The Drift 100, Robbins is now the first athlete to finish the race in each of the three divisions and place first in each discipline.
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SUBLETTE COUNTY — The 5th annual The Drift 100 Ultra Winter Marathon through the Bridger Teton National Forest drew 52 athletes from 24 states to Sublette County over the weekend of March 8-10, many of whom came prepared to shatter records and make race history.
The Drift 100
The Drift 100 overall winner has always been a male biker, until this year when Shalane Frost, a 35-year-old woman from Fairbanks Alaska, crossed the finish line in first place on her skies in only 23:21:36. The second-place overall finisher was male biker Edyn Teitge, who at age 14 is the youngest athlete to ever complete the marathon. The teen from Hailey, Idaho completed the race in 23:55. Pulling into third place on her bike was Ginny Robbins, from Victor, Idaho. No stranger to The Drift 100, Robbins is now the first athlete to finish the race in each of the three divisions and place first in each discipline.
Of the 52 athletes who toed the line on foot, skis and fat tire bikes, 67 percent or 35 athletes finished the race.
For a chance at successful completion, participants must be prepared to navigate the wilderness in often frigid temperatures and contend with wind, snowfall, darkness and their own perceived mental limitations. There are no drop bags, no pacers and no cell phone service. Beyond a few first aid stations manned by volunteers, athletes are on their own as they tackle 9,000 feet of elevation gain winding along the Green River, up to Union Pass, looping around the Forest Service roads between Union Pass and Dubois, returning to Union Pass Road and concluding at the Kendall Valley Lodge.
Most racers push through the night, only resting briefly in bivouacs so that they can cross the finish line and earn bragging rights. They must complete the 101-mile snow-covered course by 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Unlike the 2023 race which brought the most extreme weather conditions in the event’s history, the 2024 race played host to “some of the best conditions we have ever had,” said race director Keri Hull.
For complete results from the 101 mile ski race, click here.
For complete results from the 101 mile fat tire bike race, click here.
For complete results from the 101 mile run, click here.
The Drift 28
A 28-mile-long endurance event, The Drift 28 follows the Green River Lakes Road and Moose-Gypsum Road loop.
Brian Williams, from Smithfield, Utah, was the overall first-place finisher in The Drift 28, crossing the line on his fat bike in 3:12:16. Two records were broken during The Drift 28 this year, including by the overall second-place finisher and fat biker Jamie Williams, also from Smithfield, Utah. Her finishing time of 3:33:29 shattered the previous record of 3:57:00 set in 2021 by Pinedale’s own Shalesa Harbor.
Three runners blew past the previous record of 4:47:00 for The Drift 28 men’s run, set by Pinedale’s Noah Kolis in 2020. Christopher Copenhaver, from Fort Collins, Colo., crossed the finish line on foot in 3:59:48, followed by Pinedale’s Michael Lutz in 4:23:08 and Kolis in 4:32:23 — a personal record.
For complete results from 28 mile ski race, click here.
For complete results from the 28 mile fat tire bike race, click here.
For complete results from the 28 mile run, click here.
The Drift 13
The Drift 13 is a 13-mile up-and-back race along Green River Lakes Road. Except for the women’s ski division, records for all races within The Drift 13 were broken this year. In some divisions, the top three beat the previously set records.
Sublette County locals dominated the men’s ski division, with Jason Ray coming in first place in 1:23:37, Tim Huntzie in second place in 1:27:33 and Ryan Grove in third in 1:31:00. Ray and Huntzie both broke the previous record, which was tied by Grove.
In the men’s fat bike division, the top three finishers all broke the previous record of 2:05:19 set by Boulder’s own Jeffrey Harber in 2020. Jeromie Traphagan of Jackson was nearly a minute faster, finishing the 13-mile race on his bike in 1:12:00. Jackson’s Calvin Schenk also broke the previous record, finishing the half marathon in 1:22:00. Victor Menghetti pulled into third place in 1:32:00.
The previous record in the women’s bike division was also shattered over the weekend by the top three finishers in The Drift 13. Beverly Boyce, of Jackson, came in third place at 1:30:11, followed by Jen Lipps, from Lander, in second place with a time of 1:45:01 and Anne Covey of Rock Springs in third place with a time of 2:00:19.
In the men’s run, Pinedale’s Noah Chutz crossed the finish line in 1:49:28, beating the previous record of 1:53:01 set by Casper’s John Trongard in 2020.
In the women’s run, Julie Slavin, from Jackson, outran the competition in 2:07:10 to come in first and break the previous record of 2:08:12 set in 2020 by Vernal, Utah runner Lisa Cable.
For complete results from the 13 mile ski race, click here.
For complete results from the 13 mile fat tire bike race, click here.
For complete results from the 13 mile run, click here.
Just as impressive
The volunteers and organizers who put together the annual event are just as impressive as the athletes who travel from all across the United States to compete in The Drift races. “It takes a village to pull off The Drift races, especially the 100-mile marathon,” Hull said.
Thirty-nine volunteers came out to help over the weekend, not including the work done by Hull’s mother, grandmother, husband and children. The Snowpokes Club, Forest Service and groomers from Wyoming Strate Trails also pitched in to help ensure a successful weekend of endurance racing in Sublette County.
For more information about The Drift, click here.
