By Peyton Meisner
For Bloomington native Crystal Kovacs, the summer of 2019 has been all about biking.
In June, she traveled to the Flint Hills of Kansas to partake in the Dirty Kanza, a 100-mile gravel bicycle race.
To add to the challenge of the demanding race, temperatures exceeded 100°F. Despite battling the heat, she finished the race with a time of 14:28.18. “It was a great experience. The heat forced me to stop a few times, but it was a great feeling when I crossed the finish line,” she said.
Kovacs also had the honor of speaking at the Women Ride the World Women’s Forum the day before the race, where she spoke about “Making a community.”
For her future summer biking plans, Kovacs will be going to two other 100-mile races in Marquette, Mich. and Two Harbors, Minn. She also will attend a gravel camp in Kansas.