Nancy Dankenbring Award at Furnace Creek 508

The Award

This Award is intended to encourage and increase the participation of female athletes in Ultra Cycling race events in general and the Furnace Creek 508 in specific. In particular, this Award is to encourage increased participation of female athletes who have never previously competed in any Ultra race events.

Therefore, the Nancy Dankenbring Award is to be presented in recognition of the best female rookie solo rider entered, regardless of age, who enters and successfully finishes the Furnace Creek 508 in the lowest official time recorded.

The Nancy Dankenbring Award is a perpetual award intended expressly to be concurrent with the Furnace Creek 508 for as long as this race event is properly and officially sanctioned, organized and run.

The physical award itself may be monetary, services, merchandise or product; complementary/free entry in the next year's Furnace Creek 508 and/or other event(s); trophy, plaque or other device; or any combination or proportion as determined by event officials.

The award is named for Nancy Dankenbring, a 25-year-old triathlete and 1998 Furnace Creek 508 rookie finisher who inspired many in her tragically short life.

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Criteria

General: Criteria for the Award is in compliance with all current rules for the Furnace Creek 508.

Eligibility: The Award is to be presented under the following conditions:

  1. The rider must be female, but may be of any age as permitted under the rules of Furnace Creek 508.
  2. The rider must be an official solo female entrant in the Furnace Creek 508.
  3. The rider must be a rookie, as defined herewith:
    • Any rider who has never before officially entered, started, completed and/or finished in any prior running or edition of the Furnace Creek 508, or its predecessor events The John Marino Open and/or RAAM Open West, in any solo, age-group, tandem or relay team division or class as set forth in any previous or current rules for this specific race event.
    • Any rider who has never before officially entered, started or finished in any of the following named events prior to that rider's official entry and start in the running of the current-year Furnace Creek 508. Official entry in said named events are those in which that rider has entered as a solo or age-group rider, or as a member of any tandem or relay team division or class, as defined and declared in the official rules of the specific events named herewith. These precluding events include: Race Across AMerica (RAAM), any past or current official RAAM qualifier race event as designated by the UMCA, the UMCA World Championships.
    • Riders are ineligible for Award/rookie status if they officially entered and started, but failed to complete or finish; or had to drop out or retire; or were disqualified, relegated or penalized, in the above-named events.
    • Current women's champions as determined by the UCI, USA Cycling, USA Triathon and ITU are ineligible for rookie status.
  4. The rider must ride, follow and complete the entire Furnace Creek 508 race course in full compliance with the event's rules and course directions and must officially cross the finish line and complete the race at the designated finish line, in the allotted time provided, according to Furnace Creek 508 rules and course directions. This Award is for the eligible rookie female rider who completes the race, not the rookie female rider who makes it the furthest along the race course. Therefore, the Award will not be presented if no female rookie riders officially complete the race course.
  5. "Best Finish by a rookie female solo rider" under these prescribed conditions is to be determined and decided by Furnace Creek 508 race officials and organizers in accordance with the event's rules. This is to take into account the rider's official finish time, elapsed time relative to other eligible rookie riders, the official cut-off time, plus the inclusion of time penalties and/or protests, if any, as assessed, received or issued by race officials.

    Therefore, the rookie female solo rider who meets all conditions and criteria of this Award, and who officially completes and finishes the race in the lowest time recorded in the official results, will be the recipient of the Nancy Dankenbring Award.
  6. Upon verification and review of the official results and eligibility by Furnace Creek 508 race officials, the Award will be delivered and presented to the qualified recipient.

More Information about Nancy and Past Award Winners

More information about Nancy Dankenbring, the person
2006 Nancy Dankenbring Award winner, Jennifer Fast Rabbit Flenner
2005 Nancy Dankenbring Award winner, Linda Monarch Butterfly Bott
2004 Nancy Dankenbring Award winner, Monica Scarlet Fair Cup Scholz
2003 Nancy Dankenbring Award winner, Janet Osprey Christiansen
2001 Nancy Dankenbring Award winner, Catharina Bumble Bee Berge
2000 Nancy Dankenbring Award winner, Carol Toucan Trevey