Jay Petervary took home the top honors at this year’s Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) race in Alaska. The Salsa Cycles-sponsored racer finished the 350-mile, self-supported race in two days, 19 hours and 16 minutes, knocking 10 hours off the previous record.
Petervary’s weapon of choice was the Beargrease, a lightweight aluminum fat bike specifically designed for fat bike races, introduced by Salsa in late 2012.
Petervary is a six-time veteran of the ITI. Smart packing and a light bike allowed him to carry a lighter load than in previous years. “The bike was 46 pounds loaded, including a thermos of water and my edible calories,” he said.
The Beargrease was also ridden to victory at this year's Arrowhead 135 fat bike race
Races such has these often come down to who is willing to suffer the most. “The race definitely came down to sleep deprivation, which is something I’m both very familiar and comfortable with,” Petervary said. “I have dealt with the sleep monster so much and actually enjoy seeing where it will take me.”
Petervay is no stranger to ultra endurance events. He also holds the record for the Tour Divide race, a self-supported race that follows the Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Jay Petervary set the world record last year, finishing the 2,700-mile race in 15 days, 16 hours and 14 minutes.
