Here Are the Final Standings of the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix Series

“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>

The 2024 Life Time Grand Prix wrapped up on Saturday, October 19 after Big Sugar Gravel in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The third edition of the off-road series was filled with drama and intrigue, but the two riders who finished at the top of the leaderboard last week were of no surprise to fans who followed along all year.

For the second year in a row, Sofia Gomez Villafañe and Keegan Swenson won the series, with Swenson making it a hat trick after also winning the inaugural edition in 2022. Both halves of the couple — they’re getting married next year — dominated the series from the start after winning the cross-country MTB race at Sea Otter in April.

Although neither won Unbound (this year), they did rack up a series of wins after the early June gravel race.

Swenson took the top step at the Leadville Trail 100, Chequamegon, and The Rad, which meant that he had the series locked up before it ended with Big Sugar last weekend.

Gomez Villafañe also showed impressive consistency throughout the season, with second place at Leadville, first at Chequamegon, second at The Rad, and a commanding win at Big Sugar.

After the gravel race in Bentonville, she admitted that winning both the first and last races in the Grand Prix was a season goal.

“I had a goal to win the first race of the season and the last race of the season. In past years I’ve tended to fade and sort-of crumble at the end and Big Sugar has always kicked my butt, so I’m excited to take the win today,” she said.

This year’s series began as a best five of seven contest but after wildfires in Utah forced the cancelation of the Crusher in the Tushar in July, Life Time pivoted to make it best four of six. Even though Swenson and Gomez Villafañe had their overall wins settled before Big Sugar, the fight for 2-10th places was never certain. In fact, second and third place in both the men’s and women’s fields were determined by exciting racing at Big Sugar Gravel.

Melisa Rollins made an impressive leap from fourth to second in the series after her commanding second-place finish at Big Sugar. The Twenty24 rider began the season unsure of where she’d stack up in the series, but her massive win at Leadville gave her confidence to race at the front.

Similarly, Cecily Decker’s two late-season third place finishes at both The Rad and Big Sugar nudged her to sixth overall.

Paige Onweller, who looked poised to take second in the series before Big Sugar, was ultimately third overall at one point shy of Rollins. It was a solid season for Onweller, who skipped Sea Otter due to injury and then raced to an impressive third at Unbound.

Always consistent and always in the money, fourth and fifth overall went to Alexis Skarda and Haley Smith. Both struggled with health issues and injury at some point during the season but remained consistent when they were able to race.

Tokyo Olympian Erin Huck was the oldest woman in the top 10 this year. At 43, she joked that she’d be petitioning Life Time for a master’s Grand Prix next year, but at seventh overall we think she’s right where she belongs.

Lauren De Crescenzo was eighth despite a late-season collarbone fracture at SBT GRVL in August. She rebounded very quickly to win The Rad the following month. Hannah Otto took the ninth step, a noble finish after another season balancing marathon MTB racing with the Grand Prix.

Tenth place came down to a tie-breaker between Sarah Lange, Sarah Sturm, and Michaela Thompson. Thompson had the best result on the day at Big Sugar, which meant the 22-year-old college student got to collect a check for $7,000.

In the men’s field, the close race for second place was also determined by a result at Big Sugar Gravel. In fact, that contest became a race within a race in Bentonville, as the contenders Payson McElveen and Matt Beers marked one another over the 100 dusty miles. I

In the end, Beers made it to the line with three other riders in the sprint for third place, while McElveen dangled seconds off the back. Beers’ sixth place result was just enough to get him second in the series, while McElveen finished happy with third.

The men’s series was also a test of consistency, with most of the riders in the top 10 racing all six events. Exceptions include Lachlan Morton, whose 10th overall is impressive considering that he skipped Chequamegon and The Rad while he was setting the Around Australia record.

Toby Roed, 8th overall, also skipped the same races while he was racing on the road in Europe.

Aussie Brendan Johnston climbed up the leaderboard to fourth this year after finishing seventh in 2023. Less travel back and forth between races may have had something to do with it.

Cole Paton, on the other hand, saw his overall performance drop from third last year to fifth this year, but the marathon mountain biker was focused on big goals outside of the series this year, including marathon MTB worlds, where he finished ninth.

Consistency paid off for Russell Finsterwald and Alex Wild, who were sixth and seventh after racing every event in the series.

And despite winning the Grasshopper Adventure Series and Belgian Waffle Ride Tripel Crown before the Life Time Grand Prix even began this year, Pete Stetina managed a ninth overall.