Former CU Buff runner and Footlocker cross-country All-American wins inaugural Bighorn Road Strava segment title

The inaugural Bighorn Road’s gran fondo format was perfect for Strava segment slayer Seth Hirsch.

“It was awesome. The route was really cool,” the former Division-I distance running star said after posting the fastest combined time on each of the two segments at Saturday’s 80-mile ride. “The Strava segments are a big thing for me because I’m kind of new to biking, so climbing is my strength.”

No joke — on both claims.

Hirsch was one of the best prep runners in the country when he graduated from Millard West in Omaha, Nebraska in 2017. In the fall of 2016, he won the Nebraska state cross-country title in a course record and then placed third at the Foot Locker National Championships and fourth at the Nike Cross Nationals. Astute local running statisticians might remember seeing his name at the top of the 2017 Vail Hill Climb standings when he won the event as an 18-year-old. After spending four seasons competing at the University of Wisconsin, he finished up a graduate degree running for CU. But in the spring of 2023, he suffered a stress fracture in his femur.

“I had a roommate, Sean, who was a big biker, so I just started climbing with him and did really well on one climb in Boulder,” Hirsch said. “And from there it just kind of spiraled, and I just got really into it.”

Hirsch — who placed third in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb last month — destroyed the field on the opening 8.5-mile ascent from the Highway 131 turn to the top of the Wolcott Divide. His time of 24 minutes, 39 seconds was 93-seconds ahead of the next rider, Eagle’s Sam Brown.

“He definitely snuck away on that first one,” Brown said. “I didn’t even know he was on the road.”

“I just went from the gun. My legs felt good today,” said Hirsch, who just missed former professional rider Ted King’s segment record from the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Brown came through four seconds ahead of Marc Spratt, whose brother, Nate, was in fourth at 26:43. A peloton of about 15 or so regrouped at the top before descending onto Colorado River Road. After the first pitch on the gravel stretch, the pack dwindled in half. The Spratt brothers got a gap descending into Burns, but Hirsch and Brown reeled them back once they hit the pavement again. Those four rode together the rest of the way.

Knowing he would need some help to claw back a minute and a half in the final 15 miles of the 32.1-mile segment, Brown hatched a plan.

“I had to play my odds,” he said. Brown rolled up to Marc Spratt and suggested he and one of the brothers negotiate a breakaway deal. It wasn’t received through the wind and heavy breathing, as everyone was riding close to 27 miles per hour, but eventually it clicked.

“It was kind of working, but at that point, Seth realized what we were trying to do,” Brown said.

“I was kind of in defense mode,” Hirsch said. “Everyone just started attacking left and right.”

Marc Spratt (1:10:35), Nathan Spratt (1:10:55), and Brown (1:10:58) went 1-2-3 in the segment. Hirsch finishing in 1:11:07 to claim the overall combined win as Brown settled for silver and Marc Spratt took the bronze. Spratt also claimed the win for the combined Bighorn Gravel and Bighorn Road competition, with Brown coming in the runner-up spot there as well.

“Today was a blast. It was super fun,” Brown said. “It was cool that no one was really stressing besides while you were going hard. It was definitely like a grand gondo vibe but also like what gravel used to be — you’re just riding.”

Hirsch, who works in real estate and private equity in Denver, plans to finish the season the way he started: chasing KOMs.

“I’ll just go through Strava segments honestly the next couple months,” he said before adding, “And keep training until the weather gets horrible.”