BELLAIRE — Darkness fell over the trail, but riders pressed on, climbing hills, navigating tight switchbacks, and descending the wooded, single-track trails of a 10-mile course at Glacial Hills Pathway.
Most mountain bike races end before nightfall. But No Sleep Til Glacial had bikers pedaling around the clock in a unique 24-hour endurance relay, raising money to support local cancer patients.
The inaugural event attracted 19 teams of one to five riders, who began the grueling challenge at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, from the Glacial Hills trailhead on Eckhardt Road in Bellaire. The race continued non-stop for 24 hours.
The race followed a relay format, with only one teammate on the course at a time.
After completing the 10-mile loop, riders returned to the checkpoint, cut their numbered team plate from their bike, and secured it with new zip ties to their teammate’s bike before the next lap began.
While the relay tested riders’ endurance, many said the nighttime laps became most memorable. Equipped with headlamps on their helmets and the handlebars of their bikes, cyclists navigated the marked trail with narrow beams of light, often sharing the woods with wildlife.
“This was my first time riding mountain bikes at night,” said John O’Callaghan, of Suttons Bay. “My first wildlife encounter was a raccoon, and then a family of deer that I continued to see as I went through the switchbacks on the trail.”
O’Callaghan, a member of Team Peanut Butter and Jelly Legs, said the deer ran off, but reappeared further down the trail. He encountered frogs and chipmunks in low-lying areas, while teammate Spencer Mack, of Traverse City, spotted an owl.
“Spencer was riding with a super bright LED light and he was attracting a lot of bugs, which we think eventually caused some bats to start following him,” O’Callaghan said. “The wildlife definitely threw a weird curveball into the mix at night. We were trying so hard to focus on the trail when a set of glowing eyes in the wilderness would suddenly appear, and you’d have to hit the brakes to stay on course.”
O’Callaghan said the night-riding experience was “wild,” and their eyes struggled to adjust to constantly shifting light and shadows cast by the trees.
“I don’t know if that’s due to how tired we were or if our minds were playing tricks on us,” he said.
The idea for an endurance race was born from grief — and a determination to make a difference. After his mother, San, lost her battle to cancer just 17 days after her diagnosis, Shane Tschirhart, 42, of Central Lake, set out to create an event that would help others battling cancer.
“She had been heavily involved in the community, volunteering, extremely charitable, perpetually wanting to help others, and was a great mom,” Tschirhart said.
Wanting to honor her legacy, Tschirhart connected with Chain Of Lakes Relay for Life Chair, Syrina Dawson, and presented her with his ideas.
“I became obsessed with bikes years ago,” Tschirhart said. “Riding trails, gravel, participating in events around the state. I always enjoyed pushing myself and bikes were perfect for that. I started trail running years ago and seeing everyone on their bikes at Glacial Hills got me interested.”
Around the time of his mother’s death, Tschirhart started having neurological symptoms which, he said, led to numerous doctor appointments, misdiagnoses, unneeded procedures, fear, and a mystery of what was wrong with him.
His conditions continued to decline, and he was later diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis, a rare degenerative motor neuron disease.
“No more bikes, ever, and I probably will never walk again,” Tschirhart said, noting that his last bike ride was in spring of 2025.
Still, his desire to honor his mother and help cancer patients fueled him to move forward.
With Dawson’s help, Tschirhart created No Sleep Til Glacial — the 24-hour endurance bike ride — a fundraiser to benefit Chain of Lakes Chapter of Relay for Life. Dawson said the majority of the money raised will stay in Antrim and Charlevoix counties, and help cover expenses they incur traveling to cancer treatment centers.
Riders enjoyed the rare 24-hour format of No Sleep Til Glacial, praising organizers and volunteers for creating the event.
“This is an original event,” said Corbin Newton, of Central Lake, who rode with Team Local Legends.
“There’s nothing like this around Michigan that I know of. It’s pretty cool and it could be a big deal. There are other events during the day, but this one is going to catch on and I want to be a part of it.”
Tschirhart said plans are to make No Sleep Til Glacial an annual event.