Inaugural Bootleg Benduro will be a ‘test of one’s mind, body, equipment’

Bootleg Benduro, a multistage downhill mountain bike race, makes its first stop in Southern Nevada at 8 a.m. Saturday at Bootleg Canyon.

“It’s a test of one’s mind, body and equipment,” said Josh Bender, the event’s creator, who is a Mountain Bike Hall of Fame nominee and the co-founder of the Red Bull Rampage, a premier free-ride mountain bike event.

A three-part series, the Bootleg race emulates the style of riding that made Bender a household name in mountain biking. In the late 1990s, he started going big on a mountain bike. Photos and video of him hucking himself off cliffs turned heads and eventually led to innovation in mountain bike design and helped take the sport to the next level.

“Benduro is more focused on the gravity side of the sport versus the pedaling,” Bender said. “We are emphasizing the fun side of the sport — jumps and things of that nature.”

Bender says the course challenges riders of all levels. The allotted race time is about two hours.

Registration is limited to 100 to reduce environmental impact and conflicts on the course. Spots are still available for youth, women and men categories, divided by age for youth and beginner, intermediate, expert and pro for adults.

Benduro’s next stop is Garden Valley, California, and Sedona, Arizona. For more information, see benduro.com.

Henderson honors fallen officers

The third annual Fallen Heroes 5K run and 1.5-mile walk, a fundraiser for the Henderson Honor Guard, will be at 9 a.m. at Cornerstone Park in Henderson. Check-in is scheduled for 7.

Larry Jannotti, a Henderson police offer of 17 years, created the event. Jannotti is a member of Henderson’s Honor Guard, a group of officers that perform military-style honors at an officer’s funeral and travel out of state to honor fallen officers.

More than 200 have registered for the race. Online registration is open until Friday, and runners can register at the event.

Donations to the Henderson Honor Guard can be made on the event’s registration site.

Family fun runs

Marathon or 5K running parents who want to turn their kids onto running should mark their calendars for 6 p.m. Wednesday for running coach Sylvia Mosqueda’s weekly family fun training runs at Spring Valley Park on Buffalo and West Flamingo. The event is free, and runners of all levels are welcome.

Mosqueda is a former professional runner who has competed in the Olympic trials numerous times. She coaches some of Las Vegas’ top talent, such as Christine Vergara Aleshire, who ran in the 2016 Olympic trials in Los Angeles.

For more information, visit coachsylviamosqueda.com.

Stephanie Forte is a local rock climber and snowboarder. She is one of the voices of Beyond Vegas, a social media community that helps to connect people to outdoor adventures in Southern Nevada. If you are hosting an outdoor event, send information to steph@beyondvegas.com. Follow her on Twitter: @StephNForte.

Calendar

Running

Saturday — Fallen Heroes 5k run and 1.5-mile walk, Cornerstone Park, 9 a.m.

Saturday — Celebrate Education 8k, Kellogg Zaher Park, 8 a.m.

Saturday — Laughlin/Runnercard, Laughlin, 7 a.m.

Saturday — The Bubble Run, Sam Boyd Stadium, 8 a.m.

Saturday — Funny Bunny Race, Bruce Trent Park, 9 a.m.

Triathlon

Saturday — Open Water Swim Training, Lake Las Vegas, 7 a.m.

Mountain Biking

Thursday — March LV Cyclery Group Ride, Bear’s Best Trail, 3:30 p.m.

Friday — SW Bikes MTN Ride, Cottonwood Valley Trails, 9 a.m.