Going the distance with Russell Worley
By Jennifer DuBois
Outside Online

Russell Worley Course record-holder

Just two days prior to last year's upset victory over course record-holder John Stamstad, Worley had completed a nine-day, full-pannier trail tour in the Colorado Rockies. He credits his training style for the win: "I knew I was able to ride long distances, and reading all the articles about Stamstad and the course really psyched me up to do it.

"I had a good idea I could win. All my friends were telling me I could win. But I was surprised I was able to beat him. I just kept my pace and I rode away from everyone else."

Prior to that event, the bike shop worker had completed just one 100-mile race, the Palm Springs Desert to the Sea in 1988, in which he took third behind winner Tinker Juarez.

Although he says he's not as well prepared for this year's Leadville, Worley's pre-race activities include an impressive second-place showing last month at the Cascade Cream Puff 100, an ultra race near Eugene, Oregon, where he gained roughly 45 minutes over last year's winning time.

He describes that course as "much tougher than Leadville," with 1,500 feet of climbing and 50 miles of singletrack. "It gave me good confidence because I know I can do the distance," he says.

Now he's out on the Colorado Trail, riding--with loaded panniers, of course--from Gunnison to Leadville to Aspen and back.

"I like to ride and I like to ride all day long. I don't want to drive all day then ride for just two hours," Worley explains. "I usually don't even go up for events at Mammoth Mountain, and it's really close to my house."

"I do these types of events because they're fun, but I think I have a really competitive nature," he says. "My friends and I are always racing. We'll say we're going to take it easy but we always end up racing one another."

When he went to visit his mom awhile back, he spent eight days in the saddle to cover the 1,000 miles from San Diego to Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Worley entered his first race in 1983, and two years later he competed in his first national event, placing 10th at the U.S. championships in Santa Barbara. In the decade since then he has raced--and placed--with the likes of John Tomac and Tinker Juarez. He has had showings at world cup and national point series races, and is a three-time winner of the Arizona point series, where he is leading the pack again this year. Apart from stints with Yeti and Brave, he has largely remained unsponsored throughout his racing career.

This relative unknown surprised everyone last year by not only beating course record-holder John Stamstad, but knocking half an hour off the record time. His goals this year? "I'd like to win again, and I'd like to take some time off last year's finish," he says.

After Leadville, Worley plans to hit national circuit events in Park City and Mammoth Mountain. After that, it's back to Arizona for the first of the final two races in the point series he's leading.

"These 100-mile events might be something that is going to catch on," Worley says, adding that he would like to try a few ultra events in Europe. "If I do well, maybe some sponsors will take notice."