Joel Wenham rode from northern Greece to Ionian Sea and placed among the top finishers<\/p>\n
A well-known local cyclist has returned home after his first race in Europe.<\/p>\n
The Sault\u2019s Joel Wenham competed in the 2026 Hellenic Mountain Race in Greece\u00a0from May 23 to 30.<\/p>\n
His adventure involved cycling across rugged, mountainous terrain that most visitors to Greece don\u2019t see.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an application process. You needed to show you had some mountaineering and self-sufficiency experience,” Wenham told SooToday.<\/p>\n
“The organizers wanted to make sure that you knew you weren’t getting yourself in over your head because those areas are pretty remote.\u201d<\/p>\n
After arriving in Athens, he took a train to Katerini and rode 150 km to the start of the race at Agios Athanasios in the northern Greek region of Macedonia.<\/p>\n
The race was a winding course of 922 km and took him to the finish line at Nafpaktos on the coast of the Ionian Sea.<\/p>\n
Though mentally prepared for mountainous terrain, the trek was an eye-opener for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat really amazed me was the elevation. I didn’t realize how mountainous Greece is. People always think of Greece as these beautiful islands, but the mountains of Greece are something else,\u201d Wenham said.<\/p>\n
His starting point at Agios Athanasios was a ski village.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a lot of climbing, and then over a snow pass.<\/p>\n
“I looked around, and I was kind of in the clouds. I couldn’t see a thing. There was no trail to follow. I just had to follow my GPS that had the course track on it.”<\/p>\n
He said he slid\u00a0down areas of snow and had to find his way through the mist.<\/p>\n
“I remember thinking \u2018welcome to the mountains,\u2019\u201d Wenham said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
He had to carry his bike through some areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was kind of scrambling up this 10 km trail that took me hours and hours to get up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The race had other dangers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was climbing over these rocks and roots and I looked down and there was a sheer drop to the left of me. If I hadn\u2019t had my wits about me, one wrong move would\u2019ve sent me tumbling down the side of the mountain,\u201d Wenham said.<\/p>\n
He braved cold weather, snow, rain and thunder along the way.<\/p>\n
Though equipped with a GPS if he got in deep trouble and despite the presence of some checkpoints along the course, Wenham was often alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a fully self-supported race where you have to take care of everything by your own wits and your own power. You couldn’t have somebody following you in a van. I made sure my pack was full of snacks, candy, chocolate bars, any kind of fuel that I needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He carried bottled water but there were spigots available along the route that provided him with water from natural springs.<\/p>\n
Wenham took one memorable spill during his journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt caught me by surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was having a great day, just riding down this gravel road at about 30 or 40 kilometres an hour and a rock caught my front wheel and I took a tumble. It shook me up a little bit. Helmets are definitely important and my helmet saved me from a head injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
His shoulder was scraped and bloodied and his bike sustained a few broken bits, but he was able to repair his cycle and carry on.<\/p>\n
In addition to those challenges, Wenham encountered wild animals during the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have wild mountain dogs in Greece.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne day, over a six-hour period I counted 40 dogs. Some of them I outran, some of them I had to intimidate a bit. Some of them are not threatening, others are a bit territorial,\u201d Wenham said.<\/p>\n
Out of 196 competitors from around the world, Wenham finished the race 10th overall.<\/p>\n
He was one of 10 Canadians in the rugged competition.<\/p>\n
He completed the race on May 27 with a\u00a0time of four days, nine hours and 16 minutes with only 11 hours of sleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had my friends, my family and my wife Katie waiting there to cheer me on at the finish line. It was a really good feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s brought back many memories with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Greek landscape, people and culture are amazing and picturesque. It was challenging, rewarding and an overall great experience.<\/p>\n
“My feelings during the race went from the highest of highs, riding through beautiful mountain ranges with the wind at my back, to the lowest of lows, slogging through muddy terrain in a thunderstorm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wenham\u00a0is no stranger to extreme bike races.<\/p>\n