A small part of the course at South High required riders to dismount their bicycles and carry them over small barricades or up hills. It cannot be called a biathlon, Sellman said, because riders run for only 2 percent or 3 percent of the course.
Betsy Schauer, 29, of Morgantown, W.Va., finished first among the race's few female riders.
"I think the weather scared some people away," said Schauer, who said that in some areas the mud was so slippery, it made running difficult.
For Schauer, riding in rain and chilly temperatures meant she could return home to a mug of hot chocolate.
A former runner, Schauer took up cyclocross racing because of her bad knees. Like some of the other riders, she now expects to participate in a national cyclocross race in Providence, R.I., this December.
Maybe there will be snow in Rhode Island, Schauer said with a hint of anticipation
Janet Lung, community liaison for Breast Cancer Awareness-Cumberland Valley, said that the money raised during the event will be used for the organization's programs, including free mammogram screenings and other services available to eligible women.
A breast cancer survivor, Lung discovered a lump in her breast five years ago when she was 37 years old. After undergoing a lumpectomy, Lung had four chemotherapy treatments over a three-month period followed by 6 1/2 weeks of radiation.
If found early, breast cancer is curable, said Lung, who encouraged women to do a monthly breast self-examination and have a yearly clinical exam. Women 40 and older should have a mammogram done once a year, she said.
The breast cancer awareness organization teamed up with cyclocross racing because Lung's husband is involved in the sport. He was the co-promoter of the Hagerstown race, which also was held last year at South High.
The main promoter of the race, Joseph Jefferson of Hagerstown, wanted to stress this: "We're more than appreciative of support from South Hagerstown High School and the Board of Education."
More than one person said school officials might not be too pleased to see the state of the school grounds, where mud replaced grass.
Rain, however, doesn't only create mud.
"Grass grows," several people said.
