Race: 2025 Pescadero Coastal Classic - Women’s Masters District Championship
Race: 2025 Pescadero Coastal Classic - Women’s Masters District Championship
Date: Saturday July 12, 2025
AVRT racers: Hannah Chen, Kristin Hepworth,
Top Result: Kristin 1 of 8
Course: 1.7 laps of a loop. Race begins with a neutral rollout to Stage road, where there are two short climbs. Race then continues onto 84 for several miles before turning into the feed zone on Alpine. The race then takes another turn onto the Haskins climb, the longest climb of the race. After the climb, there is a 9 mile descent to Stage road. First 4 miles are technical with several hairpin turns, the remainder is fairly straightforward.
Nutrition: Bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, EF energy balls just before race and during. Nuun endurance in bottles, one SIS gel and one carbs fuel gel.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/15094420961
Recap:
Heading into this race, I was excited. Our original plan was to merge the masters field with the short course women so we could race as a team—set a hard pace, try a break on Stage Road, and just go for it. I was ready to take risks and see what we could make happen.
Unfortunately, that plan unraveled at the start line. Two riders in the masters field didn’t agree to combine the races. I briefly considered switching to race as a Cat 3 instead—because the goal was to podium in the overall short course race —but with the district championship on the line, and the official saying changes weren’t allowed at the start, I stuck with masters.
Hannah and I rolled out together, both a bit disappointed not to be with our teammates in the short course. The race itself started slow—eight riders, not much action early on. But by the first Stage Road climb, the field had already thinned to five. By the second climb, we were down to four: me, Hannah, Jane (unattached), and Wenny Shark from Super Sprinklers.
After the first Haskins climb, it was down to just Jane and me. She was riding strong—steady on the climbs, fast on the descents. We regrouped briefly on the downhill, picking up Robin Kutner and another short course rider. The four of us took pulls along Pescadero Creek, when I got nailed by a wasp in my leg. Definitely worse than any bee bite I’ve had. (I also got stung the week before on the same road). I gritted my teeth and kept pushing.
Eventually, it was just Jane and me again as we hit the next Stage Road climb. I grabbed one of the bottles at the top from that cool contraption Drew made. I was happy to have it. Jane stayed relentless, strong both up and down. We took turns pulling on 84 and were side by side going into Haskins Hill. I dropped her early on and climbed alone at a good pace until the finish line. She rolled across a couple minutes later. I’m glad I was able to race in the Pescadero road race again this year. It’s my favorite! Go AVRT!
