MON RIVER TRAILS Century Ride 

Century Cyclists will be cycling 100+ miles in 1 day so you can enjoy the rail-trails at your own pace

The Mon River Trails Conservancy has a group of cyclists each committing to bike 100-105 miles in 1 day on the Mon River and Deckers Creek Rail-Trails, plus the connecting Marion County Trail and Sheepskin Trail, to raise funds for the upkeep of the Mon River Rail-Trails.   Each cyclist will pick one day between Friday, September 26 and Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 to ride 100+ miles, and your pledges and donations will keep them motivated and pedaling!

Imagine that MRTC represents Mud, Rocks, Trees, and Culverts, with active mud and rock slides, fallen trees, clogged culverts, grass to mow, and ditches to clear, and you get the picture of why MRTC needs your help!

Proceeds from MRTCentury will be used to maintain the Mon River Rail-Trails.

PLEDGE OR DONATE OPTIONS

You can choose to pledge $ per mile, donate a set amount, or make a general MRTC donation at http://go.rallyup.com/mrtcentury

Or you can write a check to MRTC and mail it to MRTC, P.O. Box 282, Morgantown, WV 26507.  Make sure you include a note with the cyclist or cyclists that you are supporting.

Meet Our MRTCentury Cyclists!

Christiaan Abildso, Morgantown, WV- Christiaan is on the MRTC Board and co-founder of the MRTCentury. He knows the joys of cycling and the woes of maintaining rail-trails. He will be pedaling for all those storm damage costs.

Adam Baus, Morgantown, WV- Adam has the long-distance vision, he is cycling for many generations to enjoy the rail-trail.  He says “for me, the rail-trail represents time with family and friends. Seeing our children grow and enjoy the rail-trail more and more over the years is a gift. That sort of gift should be and remain available to everyone.”

Scott Brylow, Morgantown, WV- is an active rail-trail cyclist and mentors high school robotics students on the Morgantown-based world-class Mountaineer Area Robotics (MARS) team in FIRST Robotics. He is a retired electrical engineer who volunteers by fixing bikes at Positive Spin and now is a MRTCentury cyclist to keep the rail-trails in great condition.

Team CalaCain, Morgantown, WV- Stephen Cain, who has participated in the MRTC Century since 2021, will be joined once again by Melissa Calabrese, and their awesome 10-year-old, River. They are taking on this year’s 105-mile challenge as a family to preserve rail-trails for everyone. Steve will be riding the entire route, and Melissa and River will join him for ⅓ of the ride. Just like any typical family, they aim to balance work and family life, finding their greatest joy in spending quality time together outdoors. The rail-trail serves many purposes for their family, including safely commuting around Morgantown, as well as nurturing curiosity and awe due to the beautiful sights along the Monongahela River and Deckers Creek. Team CalaCain is driven to ensure these trails remain accessible and enjoyable for folks of all ages, abilities, and life experiences.

Josh Childs, Washington D.C,  Josh was a kid when the train tracks beside his grandparents’ house were replaced with the rail-trail. He says “every generation of my family – from my great grandfather, to my nephews – have benefitted from the trail in so many ways. I am so grateful for the MRTC and the people who created it all those years ago and for the folks who continue to enhance & preserve the trails today.”

Team CRC Riders, Morgantown, WV- Randy and Beverly Meador and Marilyn Newcome, a team from Country Road Cyclists, all share a love of biking and want to help keep the rail-trails in shape.

Team CRC Trailers, Morgantown, WV-Steve Knudsen, Karl Diefenbach, and Jennifer Previll, have traveled far and wide on rail-trail adventures but they love coming home to cycle their hometown trails.

Reid Croft, Morgantown, WV- says “I’ve ridden these rail-trails all my life, being born and raised in Morgantown. As the father of a 2 year old, I get to introduce him to riding bikes on these trails.”

Colin Dierman, Morgantown, WV- is an avid cyclist who works at the trailside business Wamsley Cycles. Besides putting our community on bikes, he is also a big fan of cycling up mountains. He is committed to keeping the rail-trails in good shape by taking on the century challenge.

Marc Glass, Morgantown, WV-  Marc is co-founder of the MRTCentury and can be found cycling curvy WV roads, skinny mountain bike trails, or beautiful rail-trails. He and his bike are ready to take on the century challenge for the good of a rail-trail cause. He says “I feel it’s important to help support the MRTC we all enjoy so much, and doing so on a bike doubles the pleasure.”

Nathan Harlan, Morgantown, WV- Nathan is a lover of all things bike. He fell in love with mountain biking when he came to WVU as a student and more recently has fallen in love with long gravel rides and tough mulit-day bike packing routes. When he can, he drags his three daughters and wife along for the ride. They respectfully declined to join him on this 105 mile adventure.

Gabe Holtzer, Morgantown, WV-  Gabe says  “I’ve been riding on the rail-trail for as long as I can remember. It’s a great, safe, peaceful place to exercise and have fun. I’m always looking for a challenge and I am super exited to take on the MRTCentury!”

Kemp Holtzer, Morgantown, WV- Kemp says “I have been riding MRTC trails ever since I learned to ride a bike. The rail-trail is a great place to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and safely travel around our community. I love and support our trails!”

David Lee Kuneff, Fairmont, WV- David is gearing up for the Mon River Trails Conservancy’s 100+ Mile Challenge…a one-day ride covering over 100 miles across the Mon River, Deckers Creek, Marion County, and Sheepskin Rail-Trails. A longtime cyclist with decades of road and trail behind him, David rides for the sheer joy of it and to help keep these beautiful rail-trails in top shape. Whether it’s the steady climb up Deckers Creek or the peaceful stretches along the Mon, he’s all in for the adventure and for supporting the trails that make it possible.

Joshua Lohnes, Morgantown, WV- The Mon River and Deckers Creek Rail-Trails have become an intimate part of Josh’s life since moving to Morgantown in 2011. Essential to both his commute to work and his escape from it, he has found countless hours of solace, adventure and friendship along its 105 miles.

Arthur Otieno, Morgantown, WV- Arthur is an IT expert in the Morgantown area. Born and raised in Kenya, Arthur immigrated to Morgantown after winning a green card lottery in 2007. He finished his computer science degree at WVU in 2010 then started his repair business that same year. As a technician, Arthur’s vast knowledge has earned him the name “King.” To take a break from fixing stuff at his repair shop, Arthur enjoys long peaceful rides on the rail-trails.

Seth Powers, Morgantown, WV- Seth first enjoyed the rail-trail for access to fishing locations while in college and now enjoys cycling with his children and taking time to clear his head and focus on his health while riding the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail.

Team Trillium, Morgantown, WV- is Robin Barnett, Colleen Harshbarger, and Fran Toro, a trio of friends who are in their 7th decade of life and have been riding together for the last two.  They believe in spreading joy through friendship and bike rides, preferably both. They appreciate your financial support for the stellar Mon River Rail-Trails.  Donate what you can and head to trail for some fun!

Chad VanDenLangenberg, Masontown, WV- volunteers as a coach for the Morgantown NICA teams to teach kids the skills of mountain biking. He believes the rail-trails help him and his family stay healthy. Chad says “I’m riding to preserve one of the things that make Morgantown and the surrounding areas great.”