Emergency medicine resident Joshua Johnston, MD, PGY - III, finished second in the Solo Men's division of the mountain bike race “24 Hours in the Old Pueblo” in February.
The race, called "Burning Man for Mountain Bikers,” is one of the largest in the world, where thousands of bicyclists compete in a continuous 24-hour period by riding laps on a rough desert course that is more than 16 miles long as an individual or as part of a team.
Most riders don’t tackle the event solo and instead ride in four- and five-person relays. However, Dr. Johnston, a former triathlete and U.S. Air Force pararescueman, rode 25 hours solo (no team) continuously at the event, completing 18 laps of the course for a total of 290 miles.
The race is held at Willow Springs Road north of Oracle Junction outside of Tucson.
Three teams of four emergency medicine residents and faculty from the department also participated in the race, including Dr. Johnston’s fiancée, Taylor Shekell, MD, PGY – II.
