2024 Summary and Acknowledgements
On Saturday, October 26th, 322 riders started the 41st Dirty Dozen in 52-degree weather. The high was 62 degrees with mostly sunny skies and some wind. Dirty Dozen founding members Tom Chew and Bob Gottlieb both rode. This was the 17th Dirty Dozen for each. Gottlieb rode an e-bike.
DD founders Bob Gottlieb, myself and my brother Tom Chew at the start:
Sixty-five-year-old Ray Russell rode his 20th Dirty Dozen, the most of any current rider.
In the Open competition, 2021 winner Dan Uhranowsky was the favorite to win. However, he scored no points on the first hill — Christopher Street. Thiessen Coleman won this hill for the lead. Dan won the second hill — cobblestoned Kendall, but rookie Ian Witkowski took the lead then. Ian won six hills, and held the lead until the 10th hill — Boustead Street, which Dan won to take the lead. Dan held the lead over the last three hills. He won five hills in total, and took his second Dirty Dozen victory with 95 points. Ian finished second with 90 points. Brennan Tickell, who was second last year, finished third with 70 points. Laszlo Vasko, who was fifth last year, finished fourth with 62 points. Colin Mihalak won High Street, and was fifth overall with 58 points. Twenty-three of the 47 riders scored points. Last year, at age 65, John Brockenbrough set the record as the oldest points scorer. This year, at age 66, he was unable to score and extend his record. He had scored points in his previous eight Dirty Dozens — increasing his record each year. This was his 16th Dirty Dozen. Forty-nine-year-old Larry Weber, who was second in 2022, scored 11 points, and continued his streak as the current rider with the most consecutive Dirty Dozens ridden, 13 this year! I have the all-time record of 25, from 1983 to 2007.
Open competition podium:
Fifty-seven-year-old Lane Rodgers set the record for the longest time between Dirty Dozens — 36 years, beating the old record of 31 years set by Ed Kauffman in 2016. In 1985 in the wettest Dirty Dozen, Lane was co-winner with me, and in 1988 — the year I started a five-place points system — he was second to me.
Lane Rodgers with me at start:
In the Women's competition, Evy Meinders, who was third last year, was the favorite to win. From the Netherlands, and living in the USA for just two years, Evy led throughout the competition, won nine hills, and scored 113 points! Canton was the only hill she failed to score points on; she made it up on her second attempt. Rookie Emily Zuetell finished second with 100 points. She needed three attempts to make Canton. Xiayu Peng, who was fourth last year, won Boustead and Welsh Way, and was third overall with 98 points. Riding her third Dirty Dozen, Mallory McDermott was fourth with 82 points. 2012 winner Acadia Klain was fifth with 68 points. Amy Zahn was sixth with 67 points. Rookie Darcy Neureiter, the girlfriend of men's winner Dan Uhranowsky, was seventh with 46 points. Rookie Annika Zwirn won Berryhill and Canton, and was eighth with 39 points. Riding her seventh Dirty Dozen, the most for a woman, Suzanne Kinsky was 10th with 13 points. Riding her fourth Dirty Dozen, 57-year-old Mary Kowalski scored one point, which earned her 12th place. Fourteen women out of the 16 riders scored points. Alecia McClintock scored 46 points and Alex Riedman scored one point, but neither made Canton. A record 14 women in the points group made all 13 hills! Of the eight females who rode in other groups, only one — 53-year-old Julie Grove — made it up all 13 hills. Overall 15 women successfully finished — a new Dirty Dozen record!
Women's podium:
Women's field with me at Millvale lunch stop:
After staying overnight at Chris Helbling's Squirrel Hill home, 40-year-old, paralyzed Jared Fenstermacher of Bloomsburg, PA attempted to become the second handcyclist to complete the Dirty Dozen. Jonathan Weasner was the first, in 2022. Chris's wife Kathleen, riding an e-bike, escorted Jared along the route. Using a low gear of 30 x 46, Jared made it up the first seven hills, but an accident ended his ride on the North Side at the intersection of West Commons and Ridge Avenue. At the traffic light, he pulled up alongside a car and stopped. As he was turning right onto Ridge Avenue, the driver of an SUV didn't see him, and hit/drove over him — dragging him about 15 feet before stopping, then slowly backing up, and apologizing. Jared's $16,000 carbon fiber handcycle was ruined, and his shoulder got road rash. An ambulance took him to Allegheny General Hospital, where an x-ray revealed no broken bones. He retrieved his damaged handcycle from Biketek's Cory Cannon and was able to drive himself home.
Jared with me at the start:
Rookie Evan Wyant, who is a certified ride leader in Central Ohio for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, crashed at the U-turn on Saxonburg Blvd. before Berryhill. His friend from Plum Borough took him to UPMC East, where he was diagnosed with a broken wrist and pulled groin muscle. Paul Boardman from Atlanta, GA crashed near the Hot Metal St. Bridge before the last hill.
Seventy-two-year-old rookie Joe Deyoung from Park Ridge, IL attempted to become the oldest Dirty Dozen finisher, but he failed to make the second hill, Kendall (cobblestoned). Riding his ninth Dirty Dozen, 70-year-old Gary Fisher of Pinckney, MI finally became the oldest Dirty Dozen finisher! He made it up all 13 hills on his first attempt.
Ron Snyder of The Neighborhood Academy private middle school rode with five teenagers from his school. Nevaeh Jefferson, the only girl, made three hills, and the four boys made six hills before mechanical issues ended their ride.
By the top of the last hill, Tesla, the time gap between the first and last groups was one hour and 35 minutes. The finishing times:
| Open Competition | 2:57 PM |
| Licensed | 3:16 PM |
| Women | 3:33 PM |
| Fan Club | 3:42 PM |
| Enthusiast | 4:15 PM |
| Party Bus and Roleur | 4:32 PM |
Thanks again to the crew at the top of the 12th hill, Barry/Holt/Eleanor, for turning their garage on Cobden St. into a food stop with a bathroom. Thanks to Chris Helbling and Biketek Pittsburgh for handling day-before DD registration and packet pickup. Thanks to Monica Reisz and Doug Riegner for doing day-of registration.
Doug and Monica with me at the start:
Thanks to Dave Norton and Trader Joe's for coming through with 600 bananas again. Thanks to NuGo Nutrition for donating lots of NuGo bars again. Thanks to Red Bull for showing up at the Millvale lunch stop. Thanks to Ron Lutz, his son Eric, Dave Shaffer, his son Ezra and daughter Isabella for managing the food stops at Millvale Riverfront Park and a new one at Pauline Parklet after Boustead.
Thanks to the officials who scored the hills: Sara Horsey judged the Women's competition; Mikhail Evstiounin, Cliff Spiegel, Jonathan Pratt and Sandy and Dave Rovelli judged the Open competition.
Officials Jonathan Pratt, Sandy Rovelli, Mikhail, Cliff and Dave Rovelli with me at the start:
Thanks to Cory Cannon and Alan Orlansky of Biketek for driving the follow/support vehicle for the Open competition.
Cory and Alan with me at the start:
Thanks to Chris Helbling's brother Mike for driving the follow/support vehicle for the Women's competition again.
Thanks to the many rangers and marshals for keeping the DD safe: Chris Helbling, Kathleen Fisher, Dave Norton, Jason McCullough, Ted King-Smith, Eli Johnson, Jeremiah Sullivan, Neil Glenn, Philippe TR, Tae Min Hong, Zak Wills, Nick Blauch, Dave Good, Vinay Chaudhary, Doug and Dave Riegner, Rob Baiko, Keith Cumpston, Abe Stucky, Carl Hubel, and Suzanne Kinsky.
Doug and Dan Riegner with me at the start:
A huge thanks to DD co-directors Chris Helbling and Jonathan Pratt for doing such terrific jobs again!