When I first rode West out of Albia, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew there were a number of Class B roads I wanted to travel along the way, but I didn’t expect to meet acres of grass-fed cattle, beautiful views, river crossings, and even a short ride along the Historic Mormon Trail. It was spectacular and the opportunity to explore Monroe county left me thinking, “Holy Cow this is cool!”
Albia is a fairly hill route, but there are a lot of long descents and nice flats to help you recharge and get ready for the next Class B challenge. The start location at the Monroe County Fairgrounds has plenty of RV camping sites available!
Albia Holy Cow
July 18th, 2026
| EVENT | 50 KM | 100 KM |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | 7:30AM | 7:00AM |
| Start location | Monroe County Fairgrounds 6393 170th St, Albia, IA 52531 | Monroe County Fairgrounds 6393 170th St, Albia, IA 52531 |
| Distance | 50 km / ~37 mi | 100 km / ~64 mi |
| Climbing elevation | About 2000 ft | About 3500 ft |
| Meal Option | El Vaquero – Tacos, chips & salsa | El Vaquero – Tacos, chips & salsa |
Event Details
July 11th – Packet pickup available at the Monroe County Fairgrounds from 6:00PM to 8:00PM.
July 12th
6:00AM – Check-in and packet pick-up opens at Monroe County Fairgrounds
6:45AM – Line-up at starting line for last minute instructions7:00AM – 100km race starts, group start!
7:30AM – 50km race starts, group start!
8:00AM – First aid station opens and sweeper starts
9:00AM – Second aid station opens
10:00AM – First aid station closes
Noon – Second aid station closes
2:00PM – Route sweep complete, all racers still on the route are on their own for support.Podium
Once the first three racers in the men’s and women’s divisions cross the finish line, we’ll take pictures of them on the podium.
Week of July 14th – Start looking for links to photos and official race results in your inbox!
2025 Routes
2025 Results
| Place | Bib | Name | Gender | Age | GunTime | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 468 | Sheffield, Jennifer | f | 39 | 5:21:21 | 100KM |
| 2. | 512 | Sabiiti, Evonne | f | 43 | 5:39:47 | 100KM |
| 3. | 465 | Bowery, Nancy | f | 58 | 5:40:01 | 100KM |
| 4. | 461 | Trettin, Claire | f | 34 | 5:58:43 | 100KM |
| DSQ | 481 | Adams, Mackenzie | f | 34 | 6:48:37 | 100KM |
| 1. | 466 | Jensen, Christopher | m | 43 | 3:44:11 | 100KM |
| 2. | 497 | Colleran, Michael | m | 52 | 3:59:24 | 100KM |
| 3. | 463 | Jackson, Camden | m | 26 | 4:01:50 | 100KM |
| 4. | 503 | Hala, Caleb | m | 27 | 4:03:18 | 100KM |
| 5. | 525 | Brown, Christian | m | 23 | 4:13:02 | 100KM |
| 6. | 490 | Sherman, Milan | m | 56 | 4:13:55 | 100KM |
| 7. | 517 | Klein, Justin | m | 48 | 4:17:40 | 100KM |
| 8. | 518 | Goetzelman, Steve | m | 52 | 4:19:49 | 100KM |
| 9. | 484 | Pachow, Cameron | m | 26 | 4:33:42 | 100KM |
| 10. | 507 | Burton, Curtis | m | 63 | 4:36:36 | 100KM |
| 11. | 485 | Erskine, David | m | 57 | 4:42:32 | 100KM |
| 12. | 476 | Sea, Walker | m | 27 | 4:47:00 | 100KM |
| 13. | 486 | Solomon, Mark | m | 50 | 4:54:54 | 100KM |
| 14. | 520 | Ledbetter, Cole | m | 42 | 4:58:48 | 100KM |
| 15. | 473 | Gramlich, Nicholas | m | 34 | 5:01:19 | 100KM |
| 16. | 502 | Nichols, Jason | m | 50 | 5:02:10 | 100KM |
| 17. | 479 | Rees, Dick | m | 60 | 5:02:10 | 100KM |
| 18. | 498 | Petkov, Julian | m | 20 | 5:12:14 | 100KM |
| 19. | 501 | Sheffield, Mark | m | 48 | 5:15:29 | 100KM |
| 20. | 499 | Laughlin, Robert | m | 62 | 5:40:59 | 100KM |
| 21. | 511 | Sabiiti, Eria | m | 45 | 5:48:32 | 100KM |
| 22. | 495 | Paisley, Cole | m | 26 | 5:49:10 | 100KM |
| DSQ | 482 | Keune, Todd | m | 54 | 6:48:38 | 100KM |
| 1. | 505 | Brandsmeier, Lumen | a | 11 | 2:34:21 | 50KM |
| 1. | 447 | Parizek, Ricki | a | 58 | 3:40:27 | 50KM |
| 1. | 457 | Benning, Heather | f | 52 | 2:25:46 | 50KM |
| 2. | 477 | Sea, Madelin | f | 27 | 2:36:34 | 50KM |
| 3. | 519 | Jurik, Kelsi | f | 38 | 3:17:23 | 50KM |
| 4. | 458 | Woelber, Karmen | f | 58 | 3:27:48 | 50KM |
| 5. | 521 | Deeds, Angela | f | 48 | 3:32:20 | 50KM |
| 6. | 167 | Ferguson, Jen | f | 49 | 3:40:36 | 50KM |
| 7. | 459 | Swanson, Sara | f | 54 | 3:40:40 | 50KM |
| 8. | 510 | Smith, Nicole | f | 44 | 4:10:19 | 50KM |
| 9. | 509 | Wharton, Stephanie | f | 35 | 4:10:19 | 50KM |
| 1. | 504 | Brandsmeier, Axel | m | 14 | 2:04:31 | 50KM |
| 2. | 515 | Contreras, Erick | m | 36 | 2:07:07 | 50KM |
| 3. | 491 | Freed, Nate | m | 35 | 2:17:28 | 50KM |
| 4. | 524 | Irwin, Trevor | m | 33 | 2:18:05 | 50KM |
| 5. | 513 | Hayes, John | m | 33 | 2:18:51 | 50KM |
| 6. | 508 | Burkett, Jermaine | m | 44 | 2:19:25 | 50KM |
| 7. | 516 | Ahlers, Chris | m | 53 | 2:20:08 | 50KM |
| 8. | 523 | Bermel, Joel | m | 59 | 2:23:35 | 50KM |
| 9. | 514 | Warner, James | m | 32 | 2:27:06 | 50KM |
| 10. | 472 | Hastings, Andrew | m | 33 | 2:30:36 | 50KM |
| 11. | 488 | Chaplin, Wes | m | 52 | 2:30:59 | 50KM |
| 12. | 487 | Angus, Peter | m | 42 | 2:40:20 | 50KM |
| 13. | 506 | Kessel, Sam | m | 44 | 2:47:42 | 50KM |
| 14. | 462 | Eschweiler, Todd | m | 54 | 2:58:26 | 50KM |
| 15. | 478 | Lenane, Alexander | m | 33 | 3:13:15 | 50KM |
* change of route during race, e.g. from 100km to 50km
2024 Photo Gallery
More photos in the shared album
Where to stay or camp
One of the unique parts of Albia and Monroe county is that it’s a bit off the beaten path. Fortunately, there a few good places to stay if you’d like to camp or just grab a place to stay for the night. Here’s what we know of:
- Monroe County Fairgrounds has ample RV camping with water and electricity for $25 – contact monroecountyiafair@gmail.com with questions
- Lake Miami – call about camping spots; park manager office: 641.946.8112 or cell: 641.455.4778
- There are some AirBnb spots available North of Albia in Oskaloosa
- Rathbun Lake, about 30 minutes south of Albia, has several campgrounds
- Indian Hills – Travel Inn and RV park. Book online or call them at 641.932.7181