The Assault on

Mount Mitchell Mount Mitchell, known in Cherokee as Attakulla, is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland eastern North America. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the Black Mountain subra ...

is an annual

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...

endurance contest in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

first held in 1974. For several years starting in 1992, completing ''The Assault on

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

'' was a prerequisite implemented to increase the proportion of finishers, but this requirement was dropped in recent years. The ride starts in

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...

and ends at the summit of Mount Mitchell in

Mount Mitchell State Park Mount Mitchell State Park is a North Carolina state park in Yancey County, North Carolina in the United States. Established in 1915 by the state legislature, it became the first state park of North Carolina. By doing so, it also established the ...

Yancey County, North Carolina Yancey County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its county seat is Burnsville. This land was inhabited by the Cherokee prior to European settlement, as was much of the S ...

. The ride distance is and has over 11,000 vertical feet of climbing. Most riders finish in less than 12 hours; the leaders finish in under 6 hours. The contest typically includes over 800 cyclists from across the globe. It spawned the Off-Road Assault on Mount Mitchell, which has taken place since 1999. The record number of consecutive finishes is 40 (as of 2020), held by Michael H. Davis. As of 2015, the contest has a charitable component, The Freewheelers Cycling Association. This 501(c)(3) organization is partnered with nonprofit organizations such as the Humane Society an
Mt. Mitchell State Park
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the contest was cancelled for the years 2020 and 2021.

References

External links

Official site of the rides (operated by organizer, Freewheelers of Spartanburg, South Carolina)
Cycling events in the United States Sports in North Carolina Sports in South Carolina Recurring sporting events established in 1974 1974 establishments in North Carolina 1974 establishments in South Carolina {{SouthCarolina-sport-stub