Garmin Gravel Worlds 300 2023 Race Recap

Garmin Gravel Worlds 2023 Long Voyage (300 Miles) did not disappoint. I was super stoked to have a second shot at this event after completing it in 2022 finishing 16th Overall. Coming fresh from Steamboat Gravel (100 Miles), and acclimated to elevation and heat I felt like I was ready and hoped to finish in the top 10.

The Long Voyage takes place the evening before, Friday, at 5 PM. I always find it hard to start a race like this in the evening because I can't sleep in, and I am pacing around the entire day triple-checking gear and building up my own emotions for the race. It is much easier to wake up at 3 or 4 AM and start a race immediately. The good part about starting a race so late is that the temperatures should be on the way down and a lot of the race is conducted during the night.

Emily and I stayed at the Westview Bed & Breakfast, which was a 3 min. drive away from the race venue and start. Absolutely perfect location just outside of the city and in the country. Great find if I don't say so myself. Highly recommend. To make it even cooler the Blue Angels were in town for the air show and the airport was just south of our B&B. They would shake the windows as they flew over and I was conflicted between standing out in the heat to watch them or resting before the race. I chose the latter.

As you can see in the photo above I had a super lilght setup with two aspero bags. A top tube bag with essentials such as plugs, CO2, lights, battery, etc. Things I would need quickly. My saddle bag contained a spare tube just in case, a light rain jacket, two extra embark maple pouches and my shaded oakelys. I started the race with clear lenses on so I didn't have to stop and transition between the two. I had my Red Shift aero bars mounted up and everything felt fantastic.

5 PM rolled around and it was time to start. A LOT of familiar faces at the race start which was very cool. Jr Volcko, Robb Finegan, Geno Villafano, Scott Sawyer, Christie Tracy, and many others. Ultra is such a small world and it's always fun to see old friends and make new friends moving forward. 103 people had registered for the race, and I believe around 79 started. 53 would finish. The race started hot both in speed and temperature. I believe race temperatures hovered around 93 degrees, which felt better than just a few hours before. A nice 8 - 10 mph wind was predicted to hold consistent out of the NE for the entire race which was also nice. While we had a headwind for the first half of the race it was good to know that a tailwind was promised for us in the back half. I hung with the front group until around mile 35 where I knew I was out of my league. We were averaging 18 mph and it was nice to hold wheels and make some excellent time into the course. I hoped to stick with them until mile 80 when my first stop was planned for water. That didn't happen. Normally I can back it off and my heart rate will come down to the 140's where I like to keep it. That wasn't happening and I knew that I might have slightly overcooked myself hanging with the front group.

I backed off even further and had to let a few more wheels go as they passed me. I was managing my water and food as planned and scooted past the first stop at mile 46 ish with two full bottles left. Looking back I should have stopped to fill up my pack with just water, instead of conserving my two bottles for another 40 miles. Oh well!

Soon women's leader at the time Meghan Henry rode up to me and we were able to work together until mile 74 ish where we arrived at what was described as a water stop at a park. Meghan continued and I stopped to fill just my bottles quickly so I could have some extra before my stop at Loves gas station near mile 80. I rolled into the park only to find the bathroom doors locked and the water shut off. Disappointed, I left empty-handed. I crossed the bridge and slugged on. On a rather large climb, I felt the first cramps in my legs. What the hell I thought. This has never happened to me this early in a race, being this fit. I was frustrated and called Emily to tell her I was struggling. Emily encouraged me and called in the calvary. My Garmin was soon FLOODED with text messages from people everywhere. I was blessed.

Just before the gas station, I had a stealthy dog sneak up on me. He didn't reveal himself until he was at a full sprint behind me. The bark sent about 1500 watts into my legs and a loud "GO HOME" was shouted. Thankfully he listened and I thought "Well I'm awake now!" I rolled into the gas station where I was met with another rider who handed me the last half of his water jug. I love this community! I made a super quick stop fuelling up and hit the road again. I was still hurting and was all alone with no wheels to follow. Finally, Tina Hart and Claire Reinert rolled up and I started to work with both of them, mostly Tina. They were both hurting as well and it felt good to know I wasn't the only one. After conversing and riding together I began to find myself reaching for my carbs and fluids again. I was coming back around near mile 100 after dry heaving for over 20 - 30 miles. I would continue to dry heave until mile 180 or so, but I was still able to take in just enough to continue.

We stopped at mile 108 at Jason's parent's house. Jason is one of the race creators/promoters so it was super cool to swing by his childhood home. Casey's pizza, chips, water, and a bunch of snacks waited and we took an extra moment to freshen ourselves up. Christie's husband was also there with their van providing neutral support. Back on the road, I knew Tina was much stronger after that stop. I told her that if she were to look back and not see me to not wait. That's what happened by mile 120 ish. Up the climb she went and I never saw her again. She would end up winning the women's overall and I think this is a great example to all to never give up. It's a 300-mile race and while you might be hurting at mile 70, you can still win! Take an extra min. at a rest stop to regain yourself and get back out there. Super awesome!

The night was mostly solo with a few passing hellos with Claire and other riders. The night was rough. More rough than I thought it would be. I rolled into the halfway point and took a super long break (20 min) at the gas station. My goals had transitioned from a top ten to a finish. I didn't care where I was in the field. It was now between me and the clock. Very disappointed. I had a breakfast sandwich, used the restroom, and got back out there. I found myself all over the road and tried to push knowing that the sun was going to rise in about 45 min. I decided to play it safe and found a park bench near a pool to park the bike and take a 15-minute nap. I called Emily to update her on why I stopped and that I was okay.

I fell asleep immediately. When I woke up to my alarm I felt as if I slept for 3 hrs. I could eat, I could drink, and I finally could ride like I wanted to. I found myself making up great time and actually enjoying myself again. Soon I was over 200 miles which is a fantastic feeling, cruising with a tailwind. I think my body finally agreed with my brain that I wasn't going to quit and just decided to work with me.

I was cruising along well. All of a sudden I looked to my right and a dog is jetting out of the farmyard and into the road. I couldn't out-sprint him and he had the jump on my front wheel. My only choice was to slow move to the left side of the road and start braking. Unfortunately, I couldn't get stopped and he shouldered into my front wheel taking us both down. I managed to slow enough and I broke my fall to the right with my arm. I don't believe my head hit the ground however I knew my right arm sustained injuries and my bike's derailer took a hit as well as my aero bars. The dog appeared to be ok and ran home with its tail between its legs. The owners, who were out in their yard, called for the dog. My crash alert was going off so I looked down to silence that, after saying a few choice words to the dog as it was running away. I looked back towards the owners and the dog as they walked into the house. No questions to me if I was ok or if my bike was ok. No apology for their inability to control their animal. Nothing. Thankfully I was okay, but if I wasn't, it was clear they had no desire to help. If you ride by 7980 N 264th St, Valley, NE 68064 don't expect any help and I would recommend watching closely for a dog missile attack. End rant. It could have been much worse and I have nothing more to complain about. Honestly thank you for making the experience even more eventful and for challenging me even further mentally. I've never crashed on an ultra before so to now overcome a crash with 100 miles to go is a big mental achievement. I will be sending a Christmas card.

I rolled into the Casey's General Store looking like trash, and most definitely smelling like trash. I got some water and food and tried to clean my wound as much as possible and also assessed the bike further. I knew my derailer got pushed in because I had trouble staying in one of my gears and I had to be extra careful shifting into my bailout gear so I didn't send my chain into my spokes. Thankfully nothing further seemed wrong. I hopped on the bike yet again and pushed forward, no time to dwell on my misfortune.

Honestly, the next 100 miles were just a battle between myself and the bike. I hit a few tough sections of soft gravel but the riders before me left a good path to follow. Shoutout to the Sag Jeep who found me and gave me some clean wipes to wipe down my arm. Appreciated that! The final 60 miles had relentless hills but I was also coming across riders from the 150 course. This was amazing after riding since sunrise without seeing another rider. I thought to myself if I was going to run into my friend Al Christensen who was riding the 150. I kid you not just after having that thought he came rolling around a corner. We shared a hug and some motivation for each other and continued. What timing! I rolled into the Gravel Worlds checkpoint at the farm and the mechanic there set me up solid with what felt like a new derailer. I forgot his name, but he is a lifesaver.

It's super frustrating toward the end knowing you only have 50 miles left but are averaging maybe 12 mph. 4 hours left on the bike. YUCK! Motivation from friends continued to pour into my Garmin and I had zero doubts I was going to finish. 50 became 40. 40 became 30. Soon I was rolling around the corner to see Seth Hotvet cheering me in and Emily at the finish line recording my finish. This one was special.

Overall Finish: 25th

Time: 25 hrs 3 min 35 seconds

Distance: 300 miles

Elevation gain: 17,959 ft.

Weighted Avg Power: 170 watts

Estimated Calories Burned: 13,614

This is my last ultra for the year. If I'm honest it might be my last ultra for a while due to my career change and time obligations toward career advancement. I wanted to go out with a bang and a top ten. The more I think about it ultra is much more than that. Doing just one of these a year is a fantastic reminder of what the mind and body can achieve. It's a reminder that no matter how prepared you are mentally or physically for an event you might not perform as expected. An ultra finish IS an accomplishment in itself. I want to thank everyone on and off course who helped me realize this mid-race and are always there for me. I woke up Monday morning feeling very grateful for the life I have. God Bless!

If you enjoyed this post please consider donating to our Semper Fi & America's Fund. One of the things that kept me moving forward was the thought of riding for those who can't. We have a goal of raising $20,000 and are slowly moving toward it. Learn more here! https://runsignup.com/mathewwollmann

Berry Fast Bicycles, Taste & See, Adam Foland and his team at EXIT Realty in Madison, Madison Family Dental, Sunshine Foods of Madison, Stemper Autobody, and of course Embark Maple. Each has played a pivotal role in a successful race season. Thank you very much!