ROUND 3 / JULY 18-19, 2026
KAIROS WILDERNESS RESORT / GLEN LYN, VIRGINIA
OFF-ROAD I AMA EAST HARD ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP
P84
In 2026, that warning became
reality.
Saturday's Amateur race
offered the weekend's only dry
window. Riders faced an ap-
proximately eight-mile course
mixing rocky creeks, slick stone,
single-track and long hillclimbs.
Conditions rewarded riders who
could carry speed through the
transfers without losing patience
in the technical sections.
Karsen Fulton made the most of
that balance. He grabbed the hole
-
shot and used his hare-scramble
background to create separation
through the faster trail. A mistake
in a hole during the opening lap
briefly allowed second place to
close, but Fulton recovered quickly
and rebuilt the gap.
"It was super fun. I had a great
time," Fulton said. "My back
-
ground in hare scrambles really
helped in a lot of the transfer
trails and single-track. I just
pulled away from everybody."
Cory King finished second de-
spite racing with a fatigued groin
muscle and beginning several
rows behind the leaders. King
focused on choosing a line, com
-
pleting the hard features correctly
on the first attempt and avoiding
the energy drain that comes from
repeated mistakes.
The opening lap was difficult to
read, with overgrowth and moss
hiding portions of the preferred
line. As traffic cleared vegeta
-
tion and scrubbed the rock, the
course gained traction through
the second and third laps. King
had installed a gummy front tire
in anticipation of rain. It delivered
grip in the technical terrain, though
its softer construction limited him
in faster sections.
Maverik Thaxton used his expert hillclimbing skills to claim second overall.
