Round 1: National Enduro Series Sumter 2025

Round 1: National Enduro Series Sumter

We finally got to kick off Round 1 of the National Enduro Series, and if there’s one thing about Sumter, it will quickly remind you whether you put in the work during the off-season or if you slacked a little too much. It’s always a brutal one, with endless sand whoops, square edges, tight, turny trees, and rough, choppy terrain. The tests tend to be long, and this year was no exception. We had an 8-mile, a 9.5, and a couple of 10s, totaling just over 60 miles between the race course and transfers.

One of the biggest changes this year was that Women’s Elite now runs all six tests instead of five, adding another 10 miles to an already demanding day. The weather, though, couldn’t have been better temps in the 70s, sunshine, and primo dirt in most sections. It was a little drier than I’ve seen in past years, but overall, conditions were solid, and I could tell there were quite a few new sections since it didn’t feel as beat up as usual.

My day was pretty solid overall, just a few things I need to work on to be better at the next one! I was on the same row as my dad, who was trying to shake the rust off after some time off the bike. Unfortunately, he ran into an issue that ended his race early, which was a bummer. I only hit the ground one time all day (of course Mack Faint captured it). Overall, it was one of my better finishes at Sumter. I ended up 7th in a stacked Women’s Elite class out of 12 fellow racers. Happy to health and ready to take on Big Buck GNCC!