By Marilyn Miller

The first annual KISATCHIE CRUSHER Gravel Bike Race & Run took place on Saturday, Sept.6 at Caney Lakes, north of Minden. A total of 120 cyclists and runners competed in the first-ever event.

“There are over 25 miles of gravel roads in the area around Caney Lakes,” said Devin Martin, race organizer.

The CRUSHER was actually two separate activities – gravel bike races at distances of 15, 30 and 60 miles; and runs (or walks) at distances of 5K and 10K (on paved roadways). Martin, who laid out the gravel raceways, organized the event to promote tourism in Minden, to raise money to care for and build new gravel roads, and to start a Youth Mountain Bike Team.

The top 10 finishers in the 5K Run were Emerson McLelland, Marta Sramkova, Emma Garner, Kelli Waller, Lexi Barnett, Aria Kilgore, Reed Blake, Lela Margaret Miller, Jordanna McNeil, and Kacey Rhodes.

Finishing in the Top 10 in the 10K Run were Trent Clemons, Charles Chandler, Karah Bradshaw, Jeffrey Butler, Chris Hartz, Luis Nunez, Kayla Chandler, Monty Smith, Brody Walker, and Mattie Fowler.

The 15 top finishers in the 15-Mile Gravel Bicycle Race were Kenny Chainshaw, Braley Raborn, Bowen Meshell, Brandon Meshell, Julie Fitzgerald, Steven Koskie, Tracy King, Steven King, Logan Nixon, Maddox Snider, Seth Hartsfield, Tom Coday, Brint Fegley, R.B. Bettis, and Marla Fegley.

The Top 15 finishers in the 30-Mile Gravel Bicycle Race were Jenny Lee, Keith Pittman, Scott McMickens, Davis Bordelon, Bradley Hoosier, Steven Pratt, Angela Nelson, Susan Hunter, Eric Simolke, Jay Christy, Don Hunter, Michael Woodroff, A.J. Malave, Joe French, and John Scripture.

The Top 10 finishers in the 60-Mile Gravel Bicycle Race were Randy Wells, Cody Fruge, Steven Barraza, Juan Sanchez, Kyle Coke, Hayden Slack, Mary Jimenez, Paul Norton, Michael Hebert, and Jakub Haba.

More than 120 cyclists and runners participated in the first Kisatchie Crusher, despite there being a chance of rain. Showers only delayed the start of the races by five minutes.

“Minden is so blessed to have Caney Lakes and the Kisatchie Forest so close,” Martin said. “I’m just doing my best to promote our beautiful area.”

“I want to thank all of the volunteers who made the event possible, and I was amazed by the people who came out to support the athletes,” Martin said. “The CRUSHER was a great way to show off our community.”

“We hope to make this an annual event.”