The Fireweed is the largest bicycle race in Alaska with so many classes everyone has a chance to do well.  Besides the 50mi, 100mi, 200mi & 400mi distances, there are male, female, and mixed divisions along with solo entrants & various size teams.  To top it off, there are drafting & non-drafting categories, though you are pretty much on the honor system for that.  Then everyone has a different concept on how to make the most out of the extended daylight hours and gorgeous scenery.  Entrants are all ages and range from the very serious to the rather portly and costumed.  The race begins at Sheep Mountain (which you might guess is at some elevation) & finishes at the port of Valdez so the overall course is downhill.  For those covering the 200 or 400 mi courses, however, there is Thompson Pass over the Chugach mountains which presented quite a challenge for the TransAlaska Pipeline. The 400 milers begin the night before all others & get to turn around in Valdez and ascend the pass a 2nd time in the wee hours of the morning. The Fireweed 400 is a qualifier for RAAM in case you are into real long-term suffering.