2024 Tecate Enduro Results

| December 12, 2024

The annual Tecate Enduro hosted by the notorious Los Ancianos MC took place at the Rancho Santa Veronica compound in Tecate, Mexico, on December 7.

Max Gerston at 2024 Tecate Enduro — **Max Gerston made it back-to-back wins at the Tecate Enduro.**

Words and Photography by Mary Rinell / mjsmotophotos

Contrary to last year’s “hero dirt,” this weekend saw a much more standard, dry, dusty and warm race. The location has not seen rainfall in months, so once the wheels started spinnin’, the dust started risin’, and there’s doubt if it will settle ever again. Not a single racer escaped Tecate this year without a brag-worthy “dirt-‘stache.”

It is well known that the Los Ancianos MC organizes one of North America’s best enduros and has for more than 60 years. Every year, the club sells out of entries quickly. Participants eagerly set their reminders on the day of registration to be one of the lucky 300 or so to score a spot on the start line under the iconic yellow banner. Twenty-eight minutes is all it took for the race to sell out this year, which speaks volumes as to how much the racers love this legendary event.

Gary Sutherlin at 2024 Tecate Enduro — **Gary Sutherlin came out of retirement and showed he hasn’t lost much speed by finishing second overall.**

Come the first weekend of December each year, riders from all over the USA and Mexico make their way south of the border and across the country, searching for that podium finish. You would be hugely mistaken if you assumed this race would only be amateurs. This year’s large Pro class was stacked with multi-time champion Baja racers, Dakar Rally racers, hard enduro athletes, hare and hound champions, and even a few AMA Hall of Fame inductees. All in all, 306 racers would start the enduro, with just over half (157) completing all three tests.

So, what makes this seemingly basic enduro in a remote little Mexican village so desirable? Across all classes, the answer is the same: the Los Ancianos MC puts together one of the best enduro courses on the continent and runs the event extremely well, and the atmosphere is undeniably unbeatable. Racers who cross the finish line get a wet towel, an iconic finisher pin, and a can of Tecate beer. Then they head off to join their friends and family while enjoying authentic Mexican tacos, with post-race benchracing at an all-time high. The vibe is as good as the tacos and is something that keeps many riders, finishers or not, coming back.

Anthony Ferrante at 2024 Tecate Enduro — **Anthony Ferrante visited the podium again in third overall.**

Among the racers lining up this year was the MC’s Grand Marshal and AMA Hall of Fame member Larry Roeseler, who is most well-known for his 13 Baja 1000 Championships, making him the winningest Baja racer since its inception in 1967. In true champion fashion, Roeseler went on to win his class before making his way back to the finish line in time to wave the checkers for a wheelie-riding Max Gerston aboard his Max Off-Road Beta. With back-to-back wins for Gerston in 2023-’24, he sends a message loud and clear that no matter the conditions, chocolate dirt or dust so thick you can’t see through it, he shows up to win.

“I definitely didn’t show up with the intention of getting second place,” a stoked Gerston said after finishing the nearly 100-mile tough technical course. “I love that difficult rocky terrain, it just kept coming and coming, and it really keeps you on your toes the whole time. There is no chance to take your eye off the ball. It’s just full focus the whole time, and I really enjoy it. I was stressing about fuel a little bit, but overall, it was such a good time, and we made it.”

Max Gerston and Larry Roeseler at 2024 Tecate Enduro — **Gerston (left) celebrates the win with this year’s Tecate Enduro Grand Marshal Larry Roeseler.**

The defending champion saw 4:37:28 of seat time for the day, landing him seven minutes and 33 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Gary Sutherlin.

Fresh out of retirement, Sutherlin decided to jump back in with both feet by racing the mostly single-track Mexican enduro on his KTM 450 XC-F. “The 450 XC was a little much,” Sutherlin said. “I didn’t have a good setup, and I guess I just forgot how tight and technical Tecate is. It’s been five years, so it was a handful, but we got it done. Max was riding unbelievably today. I knew he was going to be tough, but man, he was on another level; I had nothing for him. It was fun to come back and race with Max, if I had to get my butt kicked by one guy, I’ll let it be him.”

2024 Tecate Enduro dust — **It was a dusty one this year.**

Rounding out the podium in third behind his two long-time friends of Gerston and Sutherlin was Anthony Ferrante. Having raced the Enduro a handful of times, and finishing P2 two years prior, Ferrante came into the dustbowl well aware of the endurance it would require to finish on the box.

“That last test was just so technical,” Ferrante said. “I had to keep on my toes and never let my guard down the entire loop. Honestly, I wasn’t sure where I was at [position wise] when I came through the finish, but I felt like I rode well and am happy to put it on the box for another year.”

Behind the trio, fourth through 10th place positions were separated by only a hair over six minutes, with a nail-biting .83 of a second between eighth- and ninth-place finishers.

Second loop of 2024 Tecate Enduro — **Gerston leads the way at the start of the second loop ahead of Alex Trapp, Ivan Ramirez and Justin Morgan.**

The last man standing put in an impressive 7:52:52 on his steed and is arguably the most deserving of all for that nice cold Tecate at the finish line.

After beer and festivities, the riders head back over the border or home across Mexico, some with finisher pins and some without, but all with memories that will last a lifetime. Most of them already have a reminder set for next year’s registration, with hopes renewed to fight through another Los Ancianos Tecate Enduro, arguably the most difficult enduro on the continent. CN