Twenty-nine riders, including three pre-riders, rolled out from Chamounix for the 2026 Bleu Kaundi 600K. By the end of the weekend, twenty-two riders would complete the course within the time limit.
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| Photo by Phil Luong |
This year's 600K reinforced a lesson many riders discover for themselves: a 600K really is a 400K followed by another ride the next day. The challenge, however, is that a big first day still has to be completed. Riders faced temperatures in the 90s, relentless humidity, powerful thunderstorms, and plenty of Pennsylvania climbing before ever reaching the overnight control. Seven riders abandoned during the first day, one following a crash and injury, and six due to the extreme heat. We wish the injured rider a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the road soon. Despite the challenging conditions, every rider who left Chamounix for Day 2 completed the brevet within the time limit.
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Thunderstorm, late Saturday afternoon (photo by Dan Powers) |
The most dramatic weather arrived late Saturday afternoon and into the evening, when severe thunderstorms swept across the course. Most riders found shelter wherever they could as lightning, heavy rain, and strong winds moved through the region. Some decided to continue riding through the conditions, appreciating the rain cooling things off. In response to the extraordinary conditions, an additional sixty minutes was added to the overall time limit. In the end, no rider needed all of that extra time, but the adjustment ensured that riders could prioritize safety.
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| When the RBA arrived during the storm at the Boyer's Food Market control in Orwigsburg, the scene looked less like a brevet control and more like a field hospital, with riders sprawled across the floor and occupying an entire grocery store aisle. A quick glance suggested a crisis, but the smiles and laughter that followed revealed something very different: despite the heat, storms, and long miles, spirits remained remarkably high. |
For those who continued, the reward was a true 600K experience: oppressive heat, torrential rain, unexpected moments of beauty, a precious period of sleep, and the satisfaction of returning to the road on Sunday morning knowing that another 200 kilometers still awaited.
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| Left to right: Jimmy Karadagli, Anton Lindberg, and Josh Brown refuel at the Sheetz control in Shoemakersville. *They rode into and through the storm right after this photo. |
One of the most impressive aspects of the brevet had nothing to do with finishing times or distances. The riders who were forced to abandon remained overwhelmingly positive throughout the weekend. Several stayed at Chamounix to support riders returning from the course, while others came back later to cheer finishers and celebrate their accomplishments. More than a few were already searching the RUSA calendar for other 600Ks later this year and several signed up for next week's Keystone 200K. That attitude speaks to something special about this community. Randonneurs understand that success is not defined by a single ride, and they share a deep appreciation for the experience of spending long hours on a bicycle, facing challenges alongside friends, and returning to ride again another day.
Dan Powers writes...
It’s like when you play a video game and it takes a couple tries to beat the level. Instead of Goombas it’s hills. There’s no lava but there’s plenty of rain. It’s frustrating, but it’s stupidly satisfying. The boss battle got me this time but I’m coming back for more.
SR Series Milestones
The Bleu Kaundi 600K marked the conclusion of the 2026 Pennsylvania Super Randonneur Series. Completing an SR Series requires riders to finish a 200K, 300K, 400K, and 600K brevet within the same season, and it remains one of the most meaningful accomplishments in randonneuring.
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| Jasen Lo and Maria Thomson (photo by Jakub Piven) |
This year's series was especially rewarding because so many riders progressed through the distances together. Riders who completed their first 400K at the Four State 400K returned just a few weeks later to take on their first 600K, demonstrating the steady progression that makes the SR Series such a powerful challenge.
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| Left to right: Ben Keenan, Sayantan Khan, and Nick Manta display their completed series punchards |
Seven riders completed their first SR Series: Jimmy Karadagli, Sayantan Khan, Owen Kobasz, Jasen Lo, Samuel Tarlow, Maria Thomson, and Erik Wright. Congratulations and well done to all these new Super Randonneurs. David Coccagna and Matthew Willet completed their first Pennsylvania SR Series with their pre-ride of the 600K. Chapeau to each of them for their dedication, perseverance, and commitment throughout the season.
Pat Gaffney completed his ninth SR Series, tying Bill Olsen atop the club leaderboard for the most PA Rando SR Series completions. Ben Keenan earned his fourth series, Bill Scanga his third, Nick Manta his second, and yours truly his sixth.
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| Front to back: Alexa Ringer, Tracey Hunder, and Celia Feal Staub |
A special congratulations goes to Tracey Hinder, who completed her second PA SR Series. Tracey played a major role in the success of the 2026 series, encouraging friends and teammates from New York to join our spring brevets and helping mentor many of them through their first SR Series and first flèche. Her support, encouragement, and experience helped foster the strong sense of camaraderie that became a defining feature of this year's rides. As if that were not impressive enough, Tracey arrived at the start of the Bleu Kaundi 600K just five days after completing a New Jersey 1200K. Not content to stop there, she is already signed up for the Keystone Brevet Co. 200K less than a week after finishing the 600K. Chapeau, Tracey, on an incredible season and for the countless ways you have helped strengthen our randonneuring community.
Several additional riders remain within striking distance of their SR Series completion and can still earn the award by returning later this year to complete a ride. Celia Feal Staub has completed a RUSA SR Series this year, but needs just a 200K to make it a PA Series. Alexa Ringer and Cecilie Gaffney need a 300K to complete theirs. Kate Sparacio and Anton Lindberg only need a 200K. We hope to see them all back on the road soon.
Josh Brown's season deserves special recognition as well. While he completed the 200K and 600K events in our series, he spent the weeks in between tackling two SR600s, a particularly demanding challenge that requires riders to complete a 600K route with at least 10,000 meters of climbing. This may at least partially explain how Josh was able to climb back on his bike around 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning to get an early start on the final 200K of the event. Meanwhile, Sean Rich completed the Bleu Kaundi 600K as his first ride with PA Rando. After completing his first 200K and 300K in New Jersey last month, Sean jumped straight into one of the most demanding events on our calendar and showed from the start that he was ready for the deep end. Chapeau to both riders for impressive accomplishments this season.
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| Bill Scanga displays his series punchcard |
The 2026 PA Rando SR Series produced an impressive fifteen SR Series finishers, making it one of the most successful seasons in club history. Five additional riders remain eligible to complete the series with just one more qualifying brevet. The club record stands at seventeen SR Series finishers, set in 2011, meaning this year's group has a legitimate chance to establish a new benchmark before the year concludes. Whether or not that record falls, the growth in participation and the number of riders progressing through the brevet distances together has been one of the most rewarding stories of the season.
Thank You to Our Volunteers
A brevet may be ridden individually, but events like this are only possible because of the generosity of volunteers who give their time to support riders throughout the weekend.
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| On course support at Mile 103 (photo by Dan Powers) |
On Day 1, Greg Kowal helped get things started by preparing breakfast and sending riders off. Support was available at several points along the course. The RBA spent portions of the day providing water, ice, and encouragement near Peace Valley Lake (mile 34), on Lower Smith Gap Road (mile 103), at the Boyer's Food Market control in Orwigsburg, and later at the Sheetz control in Shoemakersville.
Chris Nadovich staffed the penultimate control of Day 1 at the Redner's Quick Shoppe in Bally, ensuring that riders arriving late into the evening had a welcoming face, food, water, and encouragement before tackling the final miles back to Chamounix.
The overnight control was the heart of the event. Travis Berry and Woody Felice staffed the first half of the overnight and welcomed riders with dinner as they rolled in after long hours on the road. Later in the night and into the early morning, David Coccagna and Matthew Willet took over, helping riders prepare for the second day and serving breakfast burritos that quickly became one of the most appreciated features of the entire weekend.
Day 2 support continued with Sean Martin greeting riders at the Wallingford train station with homemade cookies approximately twenty miles into the day, and Jake Prosser staffing the Christiana control with pizza, water, and encouragement for the final push back to Philadelphia. Afterwards, both made their way to cheer on riders at the finish.
As usual for big PA Rando events, it was a festive scene at Chamounix as riders finished the course. Iwan Barankay staffed the finish control for the early finishers who arrived from late morning into the early afternoon. Later in the afternoon, Joey Doubek, Greg Kowal, and Noah Indegoat greeted riders with ice pops and cold drinks as soon as they pulled in. Riders lingered long after finishing to celebrate with one another and cheer on friends still out on the course. As the afternoon went on, more friends and family arrived to welcome riders home. After a weekend of heat, storms, climbing, and very little sleep, the atmosphere at the finish was a fitting celebration of the accomplishment and the community that made it possible.
Every volunteer helped create an atmosphere that reminded riders they were not facing the challenge alone. On behalf of all the riders, thank you for making this event possible.
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| Jasen Lo and Maria Thomson (photo by Jakub Piven) |
Rider Stories
Ben Keenan writes...
Thanks to Brad, Matt, Dave, Travis, Woody, Chris, Iwan and all volunteers for organizing this ride. I had a great time. This was a beautiful course that presented a fair share of challenges. I recently saw a Little Feat concert and as we rolled through conditions that included heat, dust, headwinds and then a thunderstorm with big wet cold drops of rain and thunder that had Nick and I counting the time between the flashes and booms (“five is good, right????”), I thought of one of the band’s songs about a long haul trucker who has to face all kinds of challenges (warped by the rain, kicked by the wind, gets hit in the head, etc.) but still keeps going for some mythical reason. My journey was not quite as songworthy. My challenges consisted of getting dehydrated, drinking some horrible “Tropical Refresher” juice at Boyer’s Market, feeling like I was going to barf for the next 50 miles and then fixing three flats trying to get to the overnight control, the last wondering if tube repair glue dries enough in the rain to hold a patch (it does!).
With apologies to the songwriter Lowell George, I “composed” my own randonneuring version of his song in memory of the seemingly endless final few miles on the first night:
And if you give me; dynamo light, water and chicken nuggets for $3.99
And a GPS that will show me a sign
I'll be willin' to keep movin'This was a great SR series and special thanks to everyone that shared the miles. Hope to see everyone on a ride soon!
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| Photo by Phil Luong |
Pat Gaffney writes...
Brad, thanks to you Greg, Chris, Woody, Travis, David, Mathew, Jacob, Noah, Joey, and any other volunteers that I am missing for a wonderful event. The support on this ride was great, always seeming to be there right when we needed it. The route was beautiful and challenging, and frustrating, and joyful; as a 600 should be. It had it all from the perfect starting temperatures to the hot hot heat, strong winds, driving rain, thunder, lightening, and fog. It was like an entire summer season in one ride. I am proud that I matched Bill Olsen's 9 SR's. It seems poetic to me, now, that I puked on this ride not too far from where we came across him puking up a strawberry milkshake on a 400K in 2010. I'm going to say that Bill's was more visually dramatic. Thanks again for all the hard work and the great rides. Hope to see everyone down the road soon!
Celia Feal Staub writes...
Bleu Kaundi gave me everything at once: a thunderstorm that turned the sky violent and then left a rainbow so surreal I had to stop believing I was hallucinating it. Ninety degree heat. Unrelenting climbing. Losing my phone in a gas station bathroom and having Brad recover it for me like the miracle it was.
Somewhere around mile 149, with the day already long and many many miles to go, Tracey and I rolled into Boyer's just as the sky opened up into an absolute deluge. When I said I needed to rest, and proceeded to lay down on the grocery store floor, she said: ""That's a great idea! We have to eat into our sleep time, so get rest while you can"". Words of wisdom.
We got 1.5 hours of sleep between "days". The volunteers at Chamounix greeted us at 3:30am saying "you have plenty of time, you have enough time," exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right moment.
The next day had a lot of caffeine pills, raspberry Wawa smoothies, and abundant generosity of every volunteer and fellow rider who had what we needed when we needed it most.
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| Photo by Phil Luong |
The motto playing in my head as I rode this long hard brevet was "I am living my life control to control", with the added understanding that the overnight control was the best control, and every minute I saved on the intermediate controls on Day 1 would be an additional minute in bed in nice clean dry clothes at Chamonix.
The being said, the suffering didn't really start until I was well through the Wind Gap, and making my way to Orwigsburg. Until then, I had enjoyed climbing into the Blue Ridge Mountains, and was having a thoroughly good time.
The good times resumed again when I made a possibly foolish decision to leave Sheetz just as the storm was rolling in: I would do anything to ride in cool weather again, and the gamble paid off, as I cooled down, and managed to tackle the remaining hard climb in relatively pleasant conditions: climbs are best enjoyed in the cool and humid post rain conditions.
As I rode the last 60k of the first day alone with my thoughts in the dark (my mp3 player having fried itself with water damage), I considered how easy it would be to quit once I rolled into Chamonix: my own home a mere 2 miles away.
I decided to postpone the quitting decision to after I'd had my shower and nap, and that worked out in my favor.
Waking up, and getting fueled by David's excellent breakfast burrito, I crawled slowly to the first Wawa control of the second day, and ran into Nick Manta: we decided without exchanging words that we'd ride together for the rest of the day, and would stop at all the controls and eat a lot, and eat slowly.
The second day would have been significantly harder if not for Nick's company.
I learned a lot about myself, and my fellow riders on this brevet, and kudos to everyone who even set out on Day 1: "this was extremely hard but rewarding." Somewhere on the SRT on day two, with Philly getting closer and the miles finally feeling like a countdown, I knew with certainty we were going to finish. That final climb up to Chamounix was unreal. Thank you Brad, all the volunteers, and everyone I was lucky enough to ride with!
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| Ice cap (photo by Alexa Ringer) |
Alexa Ringer writes...
Day 2 - I woke up with saddle sores and chafing, and the pain was intense. Cyclists I consider stronger than me were dropping out, rightfully saying the heat was too much. It gave me anxiety. I was crying at Chamounix as I waited for Jasen to finish getting ready, unsure how I was going to get back on the bike, but as Tracey said, 'It's a beautiful day for a bike ride.' So I hopped on and kept going.
As texts pinged on my Garmin throughout the day, I was reminded how supported I was and how grateful I am to have a community that enables me to push myself to my limits. I thought about why I really love biking: how it shows me little corners of the world, how it makes time pass slowly and quickly at the same time, and how a single joyful minute can make hours of suffering wash away.
Someone texted me to have fun. I bombed a winding descent into a covered bridge and smiled a lot. I started having fun.
At the Turkey Hill before the final Wawa control, I chugged my first-ever Celsius energy drink. It revived me like it was suddenly a new day. The worst hills were behind us, the sun began to cool off, and we started cooking.
When we reached the Schuylkill River Trail, my legs started pumping with recognition. The trail was brilliant, the sun was shining, and it really was a beautiful day for a bike ride. Jasen and I rolled up the final climb to Chamounix to the sounds of cheers, cowbells, and Sandstorm blasting from my speaker. We had 15 minutes to spare. I couldn't have done it alone, and that's what makes the randonneuring community so beautiful.
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| Jasen Lo pauses for a break (photo by Dan Powers) |
Thanks to Brad Layman and the other organizers and volunteers for their work in making this event happen. It was a proper finale to the Spring Super Series, and one that I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in and complete.
I've never logged so many miles so early in the cycling season, and I approached the 600k with a creaky knee and a bundle of nerves about the sheer distance, elevation, and sleep deprivation that were bound to come. After a first day of relentless climbing, heat exhaustion, biblical rain, and extreme knee discomfort, I woke up in Chamonix after three hours of sleep ready to call it quits. My right knee was swollen and virtually locked in a bent position. It wasn't until Gilbert suggested applying Icy Hot to my battered knee, followed by a hearty breakfast, that my knee and I regained some semblance of function.
At that point, I knew that any additional mile I covered was simply extra credit. If I was forced to stop, I felt I had already made a good account of myself by digging deep, overcoming enough adversity, and attempting the remainder of the ride.
I recall Michael Burns telling me that, with so many resources available and so much time afforded to us, I needn't worry. In that respect, his prediction proved prophetic, as I rolled into Chamonix on Sunday evening as the lanterne rouge after a grueling day of saddle sores and persistent knee pain that made seated climbing impossible, aided by an additional hour time allowance due to the earlier storm.
Looking back, I'm overwhelmed by the generosity everyone extended to me: the encouragement and assistance of Brad Layman, David Coccagna, Jacob Prosser, and the other volunteers at key checkpoints and the overnight control; my fellow riders Alexa, Maria, Jakub, Tracey, Celia, Owen, Dan, Phil, Gilbert, Erik, and Kate, for their steadfast resilience, shared lumens, and invaluable drafts; and Aaron and James, whose company brought me back to life on the final stretches of the SRT, as my morale and stamina wavered.
Finishing on the cusp of the cutoff meant that every act of help I received was the difference between a DNF and earning the SR credit. While I understand that randonneuring is ultimately a self-supported endeavor, I can't help but think about how much support I received, and how much this SR is as much an accomplishment of my worthy, admirable peers as it is of mine.
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| Selfie by Kate Sparacio with Erik Wright |
Kate Sparacio writes...
This ride felt like a real “best of Eastern PA tour”- we truly got a little bit of everything along the way in terms of terrain, scenery, weather, joys and challenges. Highs included being rewarded with huge rainbows after the storm, peaceful late night pedaling under a gigantic golden moon, and sweet, supportive volunteers popping up at just the right time with just the right snacks. Lows included a mangled front derailleur, losing access to my granny gear, and the times that it was so hot that I found myself briefly grateful for a headwind, because at least there was a breeze?
For a sport that heavily stresses independence, self-sufficiency and in many ways is defined by a lack of support - I sure finished this ride feeling that my cup was overflowing from all the support and encouragement of my fellow riders and the many dedicated volunteers who made this gigantic feat of a ride possible! I feel so lucky to pedal among experienced riders who are so generous with their hard-earned knowledge, as well as folks who were navigating new territory for the first time and eager to bond over the uncertainties and new milestones we encountered along the way. The generosity, camaraderie, support and good vibes are unmatched! Enormous thanks to all - looking forward to whatever's next!
Looking Ahead
If there is such a thing as "randonesia," it appears to set in quickly. Eight Bleu Kaundi riders are registered for the Keystone Brevet Co. 200K less than a week later, suggesting that memories of heat exhaustion, thunderstorms, and sleepless nights fade remarkably fast.
While the SR Series may be complete, there is still plenty to look forward to on the 2026 PA Rando calendar. Our July and August 200Ks will head north to provide a welcome break from the urban heat of a Philly summer. September will feature a full brevet weekend in Philly with 200K, 300K, and 400K options. In October, we plan to bring back the Covered Bridges 200K as our fall classic, along with a populaire. We are also working on plans for a Philly-based holiday soiree as part of our December 200K. Whether you join us as a rider, volunteer, or both, we hope to see you at a future event. And if you have an idea for a new route or event, reach out to me at dblayman@gmail.com—we are always looking for new ideas and volunteers to help bring them to life.
Check out more photos from the ride in this Google Folder.
Brad Layman
RBA, Pennsylvania Randonneurs
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