The Assault on Mt. Mitchell® began in 1975, when a group of friends (led by John Bryan) from Spartanburg, SC decided to try riding from Spartanburg to the top of Mt. Mitchell--highest point east of the Mississippi River. From that casual beginning, the annual Assault on Mt. Mitchell® has become one of the best known centuries in the country with an increasing number of rules and regulations each year to try to make the process of entering the Assault equitable.
Part of the ride is along the Blue Ridge Parkway and ends at the top of Mt. Mitchell State Park where the number of riders is limited by both the National Park Service and the Mt. Mitchell State Park rules. So, the Assault on Mt. Mitchell® has been limited to 750 finishers for a number of years.
Several years ago, in an effort to open the ride to more people, the Assault organizers (the Freewheelers of Spartanburg Bicycle Club) started the annual Assault on MarionTM in 1993. For the first 73 miles, the two rides follow the same route. The Marion ride stops at the rest stop in Marion while the Mitchell riders continue on for another 29 miles.
There is no limit to the number of riders who can participate in the Assault on MarionTM.
John Bryan,
Event Director of the Assaults