SFR Uvas Gold 200k history and stats

[Rob Hawks]

In 2014, a while after SFR began running events in November, we began to list a December 200km to complete the full year calendar. That December event, the Uvas Gold 200k became an immediate hit, hosting 94 starters that first year. Attendance dropped off from that initial high, but settled at a rate in the mid 50s for several years before a couple dates when it was raining at the start. We still had more than 20-30 riders on those rainy dates. This year, in the Spring, was the first time we ran the Uvas Gold route outside of December, and also as an ACP event (much like the Del Puerto Canyon 200).

The route was conceived as a flat route made to best fit December legs. That was a miscalculation as the route is pretty much typical for an SFR 200km route with 6500' of climbing. Still, the route extends to the south where few of our other routes go, and is one of two 200km routes that uses at least part of Mount Hamilton. After coming off the Mountain via Quimby, the climbing settles down a tad until finally reaching the Coyete Creek watershed, and later the vineyards northeast of Gilroy. After a stop in Gilroy, the route returns north on the way toward San Jose and later the City of Fremont and the finish. The Uvas Gold route name comes from a particular place , which riders pass on their way back north. Can you guess that place?

While the route has not been run as many times as some other longer standing routes, it does have it's frequent flyers, those riders who come back year after year to ride. Here is a list of riders who have ridden the route the most times:

BUDVYTIS, Gintautas	5
ELGOOD, Mark	5
Feinberg, Brian	5
Ross, Roy	5
THERIAULT, Michael	5
ANDERSEN, Carl	4
BOUCHARD, Gilles	4
Chalfant, Michael	4
FRIEDLY, Gabrielle	4
HAWKS, Rob	4
MCCUMBER, Kaley	4
MERRITT, Greg	4
Sexton, Robert	4
UZ, Metin	4

It is perhaps no surprise that times on this route are not all that speedy. In 2015 a quartet of riders completed the route in 7:57. That is it for riders that covered the route in under 8 hours. No one has threatened the 13:30+ mark (as a RUSA route the extra 5kms of the route give riders a little more time), and only 9 riders total have used more than 13 hours to finish. Given that the route is normally run in early December, there is not that much daylight so many riders finish after sunset and join their fellow randonneurs for a hot beverage at the finish control, or perhaps dinner at one of the many restaurants nearby.

We will be running this event again on December 4th, the first Saturday in December. Come join us!

rob hawks

sfr rba