The DAMn Rolls on Under New Direction

Gravel riding and racing have grown significantly in popularity over the past decade, both in the Midwest and throughout the country. Today, many gravel cycling events cater to both beginning gravel riders and experienced racers alike. This, however, is not one of those events! The Day Across Minnesota (DAMn) is a 240-mile (243.7 to be precise, but who’s counting) point-to-point endurance race that cuts across southern Minnesota. The race starts just over the border in Gary, South Dakota, and finishes when riders roll across the Mississippi River into Hager City, Wisconsin.

Initially started by Trenton Raygor as a long birthday ride with friends in 2016, they enjoyed the challenge enough that he decided to host it as an event open to others starting in 2017. The race quickly grew in popularity over the next couple of years. “The Last DAMn” was intended to be held in 2021 (and a short film of that name by Director Nicolas Kapanke covered the race and is currently available via streaming on Fawesome.tv). However, after a two-year hiatus in 2022 and 2023, the event returned in 2024. Chase Wark, a professional cyclist and coach, has taken on director duties this year.

Midnight Riders

One of the unique aspects of the DAMn is that it starts at midnight, and for an official finish, riders have 24 hours to make it to the finish line in Hager City. I visited with Iowa-based ultracyclist Deanne Herr (@ultragrandma_4), who tackled the race in 2024 as her longest gravel ride to date. To prepare for the midnight launch, she dialed in her body clock and fuel game. “I did a couple of training rides where I was on the road by 3am to practice riding at night and into the dawn. I also practiced fueling on these rides because I wanted to make sure my stomach would cooperate with me eating all through the night.”

Herr also mentioned practicing with lights and how she’d do things differently next time, Lights were one of the biggest challenges of this race. “I practiced with my lights to make sure they were working and would stay working all night. Unfortunately, on the day of the race, my headlight wouldn’t charge while I was using it, so I had to ride the whole night with it on low. If I do this ride again, I’ll carry multiple lights,” said Herr.

The midnight start with 500+ riders also made it very memorable, and posed some new challenges for Herr to confront. “The DAMn start stands out to me. It was an incredible experience seeing the line of red taillights in front of me and white headlights behind me on the gravel. The start was also the most nerve-wracking part for me. I usually ride solo, and to be in a long, fast-paced line in the dark with a bunch of people I didn’t know on roads I didn’t know was challenging.”

A New Option for 2025

The rules of the DAMn are minimalist but straightforward. Riders can stop at gas stations and stores to refuel along the way, and they’re allowed a support crew - at no more than three self-designated checkpoints along the route. Most of the 600+ registered riders this year rode the course solo, but there was also a new relay category. In the relay, teams of up to four racers take turns riding, “tagging” a teammate to signal a switch. According to Wark, there is some flexibility in the relay category; the first rider to take off must ride at least 20 miles, but after that, riders must bike at least 10 miles before tagging off, and there is no set limit as to how many “turns” each team member must take.

Shifting Terrain from West to East

The race’s terrain early on is flat to gently rolling. However, by the time riders approach the eastern portions of the route, they face a variety of challenges besides the steep hills and valleys of Southeast Minnesota’s Driftless region. Sleep deprivation, along with physical and mental exhaustion, can take a toll on racers. For many participants, the 24-hour time limit to complete over 240 miles means that stops - even if some aid is provided from their support crew - must be calculated and brief.

In discussing last year’s race, Herr mentioned the challenge of the hills in that area, as well as unusually chilly nighttime conditions and nutrition factors. “I think my biggest challenge was the extreme drop in temperature we had overnight. I had been training in Iowa heat, and on the day of the race, the temperatures dropped into the upper 30s overnight. I wound up racing several hours in full winter gear! As with any long race, my challenge is to keep eating and drinking. The last 60 miles or so are hillier and more scenic, which was a nice change from the 180 flat miles we had already ridden but was also a new challenge for the quads!”

The 2025 DAMn

This year’s event took place on August 2, with over 600 riders registered. Fortunately, the heat wave that had suffocated the Midwest for most of the previous couple of weeks had broken. Riders were greeted with relatively mild temperatures and light winds, although there was a slight haze in the air due to wildfire smoke drifting across the upper Midwest from forest fires in Canada.

I caught up with Tyler Pearce (“The Vegan Cyclist” - @vcadventures) the week after the DAMn. He mentioned that the winner had only eaten maple syrup during the race, but Tyler’s diet was slightly more varied. Either way, the body needs and burns massive amounts of calories to ride across the state. “I stopped for less than ten seconds on the entire 245-mile ride, took in over 7,800 calories in gels and sugar-water mix, and burned 13,000 calories for the day,” said Pearce. He finished the DAMn in 5th place in the Open’s Men category.

RESULTS

Christopher Stevens had this year’s fastest time, winning the Open Men’s Division in 12:06.47. Brant Kochsiek took 2nd in the category and Andy Schaefer rounded out the podium in third. In the Open Women’s category, Alyssa Larish took first place in 15:02.06, with Julia Hoffman in 2nd and Holly Huston on the podium in third. Other category winners and finishers can be found at “Results” on the Day Across Minnesota website. Those interested in learning more about the ride can also find a gear guide, FAQ, the rules, and the route at https://the-damn.com.