How many carbs per hour should I take for Marji Gesick?

60–90 g/hr for most trained riders, biased toward liquid and gel because you can rarely chew safely in the technical sections. Riders chasing the buckle often push toward 90 g/hr with a gut-trained mix of glucose and fructose.

How much water should I drink per hour?

500–1000 ml/hr baseline, adjusted for temperature. On a 14+ hour day cumulative volume matters more than any single hour — set an alarm and sip on every doubletrack second.

How much sodium do I need?

400–1000 mg of sodium per liter of fluid, tuned to your sweat sodium concentration and confirmed in long training rides in similar conditions.

Should I use caffeine overnight?

Yes — held back from the start and used from around hour 6 onward. 100–200 mg every 3–4 hours is a common pattern for riders finishing through the night.

What should I eat before Marji Gesick?

1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 2–4 hours pre-start, from familiar low-fiber, low-fat foods such as oatmeal with honey, white toast with jam, or a small rice bowl.

How do I avoid bonking after hour 10?

Never let intake drop below your hourly target, even when the trail is rough. Front-load before rock gardens, keep a warm bottle in your drop bag for cold hours, and lean on caffeine + simple sugars in the last 3 hours.

How hard is Marji Gesick, really?

It is widely regarded as the hardest 100-mile mountain bike race in North America. Finisher rates often sit below 50%, and the sub-12-hour buckle is earned by a small fraction of starters each year.

What is a realistic finish time?

The winning men's time is typically 9–10 hours; the buckle cutoff is 12 hours; most amateur finishers ride 14–20 hours; the overall finish cutoff is 25 hours.

How much climbing is there?

Approximately 12,000 ft (3,650 m) over 100 miles, distributed across dozens of short, punchy, often unrideable climbs rather than a few long ascents.

What are the cutoffs?

12 hours for the finisher's belt buckle; 25 hours to be an official finisher. Intermediate cutoffs at key aid stations are published in the racer manual each year.

Where are the aid stations?

The 906 Adventure Team publishes the current aid map each year — typically 5–7 stations across the 100-mile course, with a mid-race drop-bag hub. Assume up to 3 hours between stops in the middle of the race.

Yes, crew access is allowed at designated aid stations only — the racer manual lists exactly where. Free-crewing on the course is prohibited and can lead to disqualification.

Are drop bags allowed?

Yes. Two drop-bag locations are typical. Pre-stage pre-mixed bottles, pre-counted calories and one warm layer per bag.

What bike should I ride?

A capable trail hardtail or short-travel full-suspension 29er is the standard choice. Downcountry bikes (~120 mm travel) with dropper posts are increasingly common.

What tire width and pressure?

2.35–2.5 in tires with reinforced casings and sealant. Pressures typically 18–24 psi front / 20–26 psi rear tuned to rider weight — under-pressure is the number-one cause of race-ending flats on the granite.

Do I need a dropper post?

Almost every finisher runs one. The technical descents and rock rolls reward being able to drop the saddle quickly.

What lights do I need?

A helmet light plus a bar light, each with enough battery for 6+ hours, plus a backup. Most finishers who chase 15–20 hour times ride 3–8 hours in the dark.

How do I train for Marji?

Prioritize long rides on technical terrain (not smooth gravel), hike-a-bike practice, back-to-back weekends of 5–8 hour rides, and full nutrition rehearsal at race carbohydrate targets.

How do I pace the first 3 hours?

Sit at endurance heart rate (Zone 2 / ≤ 70% FTP where applicable). Every rider who blows up on Marji went too hard in the first 30 miles.

What's the best pre-race sleep strategy?

Bank sleep across the week. Prioritize a good two-nights-before sleep — race-night nerves usually disrupt the last night.

How do I fuel when I can't take my hands off the bar?

Fuel before entering technical sections and immediately after exiting. A hydration hose with a bite valve removes the need to reach for bottles in singletrack.

What's the weather usually like?

Mid-to-late September in Marquette often means 35–45 °F (2–7 °C) starts, 60–75 °F (15–24 °C) afternoons, and 30–45 °F (−1 to 7 °C) nights. Rain is possible; sunny with a hard wind is common.

How do I earn a Marji buckle?

Finish the full 100-mile course inside the 12-hour cutoff without shortcuts or disqualifying penalties. Points-based, race-issued challenges are published each year in the racer manual.

Marji Gesick 100 Nutrition Basics — Pre-Race, Race Day & Recovery

Nutrition basics for Marji Gesick

Three windows shape every endurance result: what you eat in the hours before the start, what you take in on the bike, and how you recover once you cross the line.

Pre-race breakfast

1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 2–4 hours pre-start, from rehearsed low-fiber, low-fat foods — oatmeal with honey and banana, white toast with jam, or a rice bowl.

During-race execution

Alarm-based fueling every 15–20 minutes. Sip on every doubletrack second. Chew whenever the trail lets you take a hand off the bar. Front-load calories before every rock garden.

Recovery

Within 60 minutes of finishing: 1.0–1.2 g/kg carbohydrate, 0.3 g/kg protein, and enough fluid to replace ~150% of body-mass losses. Warm calories go down easier after a cold night finish.

Race-day morning timeline

T-4 h	Wake. Breakfast: 1–4 g/kg CHO from a rehearsed meal. Coffee optional (part of your caffeine plan).
T-2 h	Kit on, bottles mixed, pack loaded, drop bags handed off. Small carb top-up (30–60 g).
T-90 min	Roll to start. Easy 15-min spin to open the legs.
T-45 min	Final bathroom, final layer decision, chain lube confirmed.
T-20 min	Line up. 30 g CHO + 7 fl oz fluid. Optional 100 mg caffeine if late-race dosing is planned.
T-5 min	Deep breaths. Rehearse the first 3 climbs mentally.
T+0	Neutral rollout. Sit in. Do not chase.
T+6 h	Mid-race drop-bag reset. First caffeine dose if not taken earlier. Warm layer decision.

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Marji Gesick 100 — Nutrition Basics