This past long weekend, the Cadence Cycle Monster Enduro crept back for a third year of terrifying trails and daring descents atop Grey Mountain in Whitehorse.

20 mountain bikers locked eyes with the beast, shifted down a gear and dropped in on three different timed stages.

The racer with the lowest combined time would arise as victor in their category.

The Star spoke with Cadence Cycle owner Dean Eyre during the race on July 2.

"So far, it looks good. Everybody made it off the start. We started at the right time, we had a few people sign up right at the end, which is kind of nice, because our numbers were a little down but they're not bad now, so we're pretty happy."

As it goes with mountain bike enduro races, uphill portions are not timed and so instead turn into fun, social affairs as people make their way to the start of the next stage, as Eyre explained.

"It's kind of a friendly race in a lot of ways, but otherwise you're competing against the clock on the down sections. So it's a two or three hour race, but of that, only maybe 35 minutes are timed.

"It's cool. It's a good chance for everybody to see where they stack up. It's fun."

Ira Davidson, 15, was a youth racer in the enduro.

His parents were on hand to watch the event.

When asked if Ira does this kind of racing often, Simon Davidson replied, "No. We just recently moved to the Yukon last summer. So when we arrived, (it) was the same weekend as the Yukon Downhill Championships up at (Mount) Sima. So he went in that and then shortly after that got a job at Dean's bike shop (Eyre's Cadence Cycle) and then has been right into bikes. Previous to moving here, he was into bikes, but now it's really gotten full-on. So this is his first proper enduro."

Ira's parents just wanted him to "have fun. For sure, he'll have fun."

"He's pretty keen," said the elder Davidson. "He'll try to go fast, that's for sure."

The Star spoke with Ira Davidson, who won the youth category, after the race.

"It was good. First stage I crashed, unfortunately. But then, the rest was pretty good. Everybody did pretty well. A lot of peddling, definitely.

"The downhill's pretty nice. Nice day out. It got a bit hot but that's alright."

Davidson said it wasn't a serious crash.

"It was all good. Too much speed and then over the berm. It was all wet.

"There's a rock wall and then it's a flat corner and I just kind of went straight."

Overall, Davidson said, "I liked it. It's fun."

Davidson said the race was longer than he's used to.

"I've never done this length on a bike before. So it was definitely hard with all the peddling and climbing."

Davidson said he's planning on doing the upcoming Enduro Dome in Dawson.

"I'm looking forward to that."

The Star spoke with first-place finishers Hudson Lucier (male) and Melanie Edwards (female) after they received their medals.

"It feels pretty awesome," said Lucier. "It's such a great event, having it here, having a local enduro race is so awesome and the work that Cadence puts in to host it is just absolutely amazing. It's super-cool to be able to do this in Whitehorse."

It was wonderful," said Edwards. "It's so much fun and they do a great job organizing it. Great to see some other women out and hopefully in years to come there'll be more and more women coming out."

"It's fantastic," added Lucier. "They started it three years ago and it's done nothing but grow in terms of the number of participants."

Lucier is now the two-time defending champ in the Monster Enduro.

"I won last year, which was awesome."

Edwards added that the medals for the event, created by Nicole Bauberger, were, "The best medals, I think, that I have ever seen. They are absolutely stunning."

A full day of mountain biking makes for hungry warriors, and Cadence Cycle treated competitors to a succulent barbecue, a table full of prizes and good times for all.

Mother Nature chipped in as well, starting off the day in fog and ending in glorious hot sunshine and blue skies.

Eyre added they are planning on holding the event again next year.

Here are the results.

Adult Female

• Melanie Edwards (27:00)
• Ginny Anderson (38:18)
• Katie Douglas (38:24)

Youth Male

• Ira Davidson (26:39)
• Micah Mcconnell (28:06)
• Sylas Sanderson (30:34)
• Malcolm Murchison (41:31)

Adult Male

• Hudson Lucier (22:51)
• Rob Mcconnell (23:06)
• Liam Mather (23:09)
• Angus Endress (24:27)
• Patricio Ferrara (26:25)
• Evan Harris (28:00)
• Brian Macdougall (28:40)
• Francis Belanger (29:31)
• Zachary Burke (43:15)
• Ben Macinnes (43:25)
• Paul Murchison (60:37)
• Brian Ng (no times recorded)

E-bike

• Tate Flanagan (23:54)

The next enduro mountain bike race in the Yukon rides in Dawson City on August 5.

Now entering its third year, the Midnight Dome Enduro takes riders of all ages down popular Midnight Dome trails like Pay Dirt, Hammarstrand, Dish Pig and Buried Treasure. Lunch and snacks are provided, as is a post-event barbecue and prizes. A free shuttle is included for ascents of the mountain, or you can ride up under your own power.

Get more information and register for the Midnight Dome Enduro at yukoncycling.com.

Submitted by Geof Harries, with files from Morris Prokop