Just a few kilometres into our Standard bike course in 2019, Nolan Hunder’s seat post sheared off and he was left straddling a bare post rather than a cushy saddle. Rather than throw in the towel, however, he completed the entire 23-km course without a saddle and even headed out to complete the 9.5-km run when he arrived at T2. When he arrived back at Race Central just over an hour later, he had earned the respect of his fellow competitors, most of whom had by then heard rumours of “some guy dressed like Captain America who’s riding without a saddle.” 

We felt the need to recognize Nolan’s effort, and the Tough as Dodge award was born.