A thrilling photo finish brought a victory back to the North Shore in the 2023 Lutsen 99er Gravel Bike Race. A local man wins the 2023 Lutsen 99er.

On Saturday, June 24, 2023, at around 7:30 AM, nearly 2,000 racers competed in a series of races known as the Lutsen 99er. The 2023 Lutsen 99er featured four challenging courses: the 99er, the 69er, the 49er, and the 25er. Within those races, 589 racers took on the challenging 99er. A local man, Will Surbaugh, son of Cascade Vacation Rentals’ owner Steve Surbaugh, took home the 99er victory in a dramatic photo finish!

The 2023 Lutsen 99er

There were many changes that happened to this year’s Lutsen 99er Race. The location was new, the routes were new, and a new winner was crowned.

The day started with over 2,000 racers coming together at the race’s new starting point at the Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course. At 7:30 am the paced start times began with racers taking off down Highway 61 to Caribou Trail. From there, it would be just over 5 hours until a victor was declared.

While all races require physical and mental endurance, it’s the finish to the 99er that most spectators anticipate. This year, the finish was far from ordinary! At just over 5-hours from the start, two 99er racers would come barrelling down the grassy track racing toward the finish line. It would be Will Surbaugh of Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Dillon McNeill of Papillion, Nebraska to come down the hill and around the corner to the finish line first.

Both racers paced at an impressive 17.02 mph. Will remained in the top 3 of riders at all checkpoints along the race while Dillon initially fell back to 11th place at the 34-mile point. Dillon’s comeback happened at some point around the 52-mile mark where he gained the 3rd place spot, a spot he would maintain until after the 78-mile point. After that point, he overtook Nate Kullbom of Iowa City, Iowa, and made a strong push to be neck in neck with Will Surbaugh as they approached the finish line.

A Dramatic Photo Finish

As the two racers came around the final corner, they both took to the corner wide towards the finish line. Freshly fallen rain made the grassy finish line slippery, adding an additional challenge to both racers. With extreme intensity, they both fought to the very end, with Will Surbaugh getting the inside track and a hair’s length lead on Dillon McNeill. Unfortunately, due to the wet conditions of the track and the speed at which both racers came around the final corner, Will Surbaugh’s back tire swayed slightly, pushing Dillon McNeill’s back tire into the finish gate.

Both riders lost control with Dillon taking out the timing sensors and crashing across the finish line, landing on his side a few feet away. Will was able to regain control enough to immediately spin around and double back to check on his fellow racer. Though dazed, Dillon appeared to be uninjured. The two racers shook hands while awaiting the official results from the photo finish.

In the end, Will Surbaugh took home the prize with a finish time of 5 hours, 2 minutes, and 40 seconds. Dillon McNeill officially finished at 5 hours, 2 minutes, and 42 seconds. Congratulations to Will for accomplishing a year-long goal of winning the Lutsen 99er after finishing third in the 2022 race!

Just two minutes later, another battle played out between the third- and fourth-place finishers. Kyle Frye of Shuniah, Ontario took third place at 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 51 seconds followed immediately by Nate Kullbom at 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 53 seconds.

Many Winners

Whether they placed or not, all racers of the Lutsen 99er did a fantastic job. For many, winning is not the goal. They are there to enjoy race and challenge themselves. The course is not easy and the occasional rainfall created muddy patches. Many crossed the finish line caked in mud. I personally went around several points of the race to cheer on racers. During my time back in the Northwoods, I witnessed some amazing shows of sportsmanship. From a 69er racer doubling back 5 miles to get a medic for another racer, to other racers stopping their race to check on injured riders. Wherever possible, racers would take the time needed to help, encourage, and cheer each other on.

However, all races need winners. Here are the winners of the 2023 Lutsen 99er Gravel Bike Race:


Lutsen 99er Men:
1. Will Surbaugh, Grand Marais, Minnesota
2. Dillon McNeill, Papillion, Nebraska
3. Kyle Fry, Shuniah, Ontario
4. Nate Kallbom, Iowa City, Iowa

Lutsen 99er Women:
1. Nora Klingfus, Longboat Key, Florida
2. Maria Osowski (Statz), Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
3. Caitlin Neuman, Madison, Wisconsin
4. Bee Furlong, River Falls, Wisconsin

Lutsen 69er Men:
1. Casey LaJoie, Iron River, Wisconsin
2. Dustin Fale, Springbrook, Wisconsin
3. Joseph Renier, Marine on Saint Croix, Minnesota
4. Keith Ailey, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Lutsen 69er Women: 
1. Chelsey Youngberg, Duluth, Minnesota
2. Delia Barrett, Victoria, Minnesota
3. Ronnie LaJoie, Iron River, Wisconsin
4. Emily Flynn, Cazenovia, New York

Lutsen 49er Men:
1. Nate Schneider, Denver, Colorado
2. Jack Ralston, Stillwater, Minnesota
3. Brett Brazerol, Duluth, Minnesota
4. Charlie Spanjers, Edina, Minnesota

Lutsen 49er Woman:
1. Phoebe Leege, Duluth, Minnesota
2. Rebecca Sauber, Farmington, Minnesota
3. Kathleen Vernon, Grand Marais, Minnesota
4. Karla Bailey, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Lutsen 25er Men:
1. Ryan Wilsey, Saint Paul, Minnesota
2. Eddie Full, Elk River, Minnesota
3. Connor Beshore, Longmont, Colorado
4. Ben Tesch, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Lutsen 25er Woman:
1. Coralie Jones, Saint Paul, Minnesota
2. Char Ailey, Thunder Bay, Ontario
3. Isabelle Mayer, Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Shandy Scheidt, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Lutsen 25er Non-Binary:
1. Carson Hall, Lakeville, Minnesota

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL RACERS!