2019 Tatanka - Cancelled

CANCELED: The Tatanka has always been a long, tough, epic event that showcased some of the best trails on offer in Sturgis and the Black Hills. At the same time, it has been a fundraiser and provided the impetus for making the trails better, and building new trails. Riders from across the US have raced and been given an experience we hope they cherish. The Tatanka consumes many hundreds of volunteer hours every year. Between the necessities of putting on a Tatanka-scale event and the not often thought about costs, such as the substantial event fees required to be paid to land managers, Tatanka has provided means to maintain dozens of miles of trail but has never made a dollar beyond that to contribute to the overall trail effort. The Tatanka parent organization, Black Hills Trails, is currently faced with the future tasks of finding funding for decades-long maintenance agreements for the new Sturgis-area trails and the development of even more new trails in neighboring towns. It has become obvious the time has come to prioritize. The 2019 running of the Tatanka Mountain Bike Race is canceled. We appreciate the support of every rider, volunteer, and sponsor that has helped to shape this epic event. We will continue to look for ways to make the Tatanka work given the realities of volunteer time and if possible will announce an event for 2020 at a future date. Full refunds will be issued for all riders registered for 2019. Our most sincere apologies to all those who had made plans to join us this year. Any riders wishing to keep their reservations please message us at sjg@blackhillstrails.org with your intent, we will plan to ride the best portions of the course on race day with speed, distance, and format to be determined by attendance.