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Sat August 15 - Tue September 15 Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 US

Description

Mark inspired thousands across the globe to push themselves, whether it be on the retail floor, in the office, on the bike, or down the mountain. The communities and bonds he cultivated are countless. 

The Ride is a fund-raising event organized by Smartwool x SBT GRVL honoring Mark Satkiewicz, with daily and  course distances inspired by two iconic industry events Mark co-founded. Supporters can challenge themselves to complete the distance of a single day – or all 4 – of the original Ride to OR Course; or tackle one of the epic green, red, blue or black courses of SBT GRVL.  Along the way, your donations will benefit the Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund, and you will earn milestone badges for your accomplishments. 

The mission of the Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund in partnership with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is to provide gear and resources to the Steamboat Springs youth who may otherwise be unable to participate. Whether that is a bike, ski rentals, participation in lessons or however else deemed necessary, this will be a way to continue on with Mark’s quest for inclusivity in the activities for which he held the most passion.

To learn more about Smartwool’s Ride to OR, visit https://www.smartwool.com/blog/ride-to-or-history.html 

To learn more about SBT GRVL, visit https://sbtgrvl.com/

Place

401 Howelsen Parkway
Steamboat Springs, CO US 80487

Race Contact Info

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Who was Mark?

There are many people in this world who dream big. Our friend Mark Satkiewicz was a man who could dream big and then actually go big; he spent his life bringing big visions to reality and through that, he’d empower people along the way to be their best. He did this by empowering his daughters to live life this way, he did this in his executive career with brands like Nike, Smartwool and Tom’s Shoes, and he did this in his athletic career.

During his time at Smartwool, Mark was quoted The Ride "was the most important four days of the year."  The Ride to OR started small and grassroots with support from a few folks in his Suburban, and staying at some of the worst motels between Steamboat and Park City. However, like most things Mark was committed to, The Ride quickly gained steam and grew to legendary status, bringing the Smartwool community together for an unforgettable 4-day, 400 mile journey across a landscape most wouldn't fathom riding across. On The Ride, job titles, experience, fitness level, and gender were all tossed to the wind, and we were all in it together, supporting each other on the challenging adventure. Mark would famously leave in the morning hours after the first group left, challenging himself and the "pain train" to catch up to all the groups who had left earlier.  Along the way, Mark would speak words of encouragement to all the groups, and sometimes even provide a little push up the hill. The Ride has created life long cyclists, bonds, and stories, that we owe to Mark's vision. In 30 days, we challenge you to sign up to ride or run the full 400 miles, or one of the segments from the original Ride course from Steamboat Springs to Park City, UT.

Mark’s most recent ‘go big’ vision was to create a gravel cycling weekend that took place on the dirt roads he often rode with friends near his home in Steamboat, Colo. From its inception in 2018 to its launch in 2019, to today, the vision of SBT GRVL has always been far more than just a bike race. Instead, Mark saw it as a vehicle to grow an inclusive community that felt more like a family than a gathering of people riding bikes. The core values of SBT GRVL are Beauty, Inclusivity, Family, Challenge and Fun. Because it was Mark, the goal right out of the gate was to build a world-renowned gravel riding experience. And it turned out to be just that! Building something on that scale, that quickly, required a strong foundation and that’s where the SBT GRVL values framework came in. The event’s values paralleled Mark’s personal values.

Mark’s family was of utmost importance to him and that translated into his relationships with everyone else around him. One of his biggest goals was that SBT GRVL was not only an incredible race and community for the rider to be a part of, but also positioned his home of Steamboat, Colo., as a gathering place for ALL gravel cycling enthusiasts. He was intent on riders being comfortable bringing their families and friends to share the experience.

He saw the beauty in everything from the course to the relationships created to the surrounding scenery. His excitement when he saw people experiencing this beauty was palpable.

Mark was also incredibly committed to inclusivity in all areas of his life. From pushing for parity out of the gate with SBT GRVL (the event offered an equal prize purse for the men’s and women’s pro field, and invested in welcoming more women to the start line, garnering just below 30% women’s participation in year one, which was unprecedented at the time of the event’s launch). 

He took the role of ‘host’ to his hometown and local gravel roads of Steamboat very seriously. Mark always made time for anyone who had questions, and was always more than willing to stop what he was doing to lend a hand. He was one of those exceptional people who naturally had the ability to make you feel like you were the only person in the room.

Another thing Mark was well known for in his life was seeking out challenges and pushing himself to accomplish his goals. And Mark did not have small goals. His drive was incredible and infectious – being around him inherently challenged you to be your best. So many people are grateful for Mark’s mentorship, leadership and most of all, friendship.

Even though it’s beyond difficult to think about not working side-by-side with our friend on this great event going forward, know this, SBT GRVL will go on. We’re going to see to it that it will not only live up to the high bar Mark set with his vision, we’ll go big and surpass that. Because that’s what Mark would do.

Mark Satkiewicz lived his life to the fullest by seeking out and accepting challenges and then tackling them head on. That’s what we will do going forward with SBT GRVL. We want to thank you for being part of our family and personally invite you to join us as we go big in our future and fully honor Mark’s legacy.

Our lives were changed for the better by meeting the challenge of creating this world class gravel cycling event with Mark. We stand proudly to serve you as the community of riders who make our event great. We hope that you will join us on the next challenge; carrying forward SBT GRVL and honoring Mark’s legacy.

Thank you, friend. We miss you!

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