2026 TESTING GROUND SERIES
- Bryan Rusche
- May 11
- 4 min read
>FAQs
ANNOUNCING 2026 TESTING GROUND SERIES
You can guess your fitness... or you can test it.
You can plan your strategy... or you can test it.
The Testing Ground Series is where the work gets honest.
⏱️ Time trial format (riders go off every 30 seconds, no drafting)
📈 Track your progress across series events
🤗 Open to all levels
👏 A supportive, high-vibe environment
🚀 Built for those who want to improve before race season
👑 Earn the Strava segment (KOM/QOM)
🎖️ Want extra training? Do some extra challenges we'll have ready for ya
🍕 Hang out after!
But this isn’t just about performance.
It’s a social opportunity to push yourself alongside a community doing the same—people who show up, put in the work, and elevate each other.
After you test yourself, stay for the experience. Post-TT drinks, food, and connection are all part of your registration.
Don’t wait for race day—prepare for it. Don’t just scroll or watch—put it into practice.
Race season doesn’t start on race day. It starts here.
End of SZN awards for the series to come as we are just getting started. Stick around for the ride (and swim and run...)
You've got questions...
We've got answers!
Who's putting this on? Is it a scam?
Sucks that we need to say this, but it's happened... So no, we aren't gonna take your money and disappear. Bryan Rusche, Cheryl Willberg, Josh Boaventura are your core crew here at MESA Endurance putting these on for you. Also, see section about what if you can't make it. We want you to have an amazing time. We're not here to steal your money.
What’s an unsanctioned race?
It means you show up like it’s your own day and throw down. It’s not affiliated with any governing body. It’s not insured. It’s not permitted. You assume the risk like you do every day you go out there and train. You gotta respect all the traffic laws. You can’t act like you own the place - you must respect the other people sharing the space with us. You can’t litter and assume volunteers are gonna clean up after you. Unsanctioned means we can have fast, flexible and not so serious fun ($$).
Why is it $50?
Feels like a good amount to have some skin in the game (serious). About enough to fund your coffee habit for a week. It’s also not a $1000+ Ironman (not that serious).
Are there medals and finisher shirts?
Nope. We are gonna have some fun with prizes for the whole series (think most improved, most consistent etc). And we will have some sick MESA merch for those who want it. But event $$ gonna go to the experience and not the bin.
What if I can’t make it?
Another way we’re not IM. We will defer it, refund it, transfer it. It’s our way of saying don’t overthink it, just sign up damn it.
How can I get there (Limehouse)?
It’s what community is for! We’ll do our best to help you find your best car pool mates. For those who are looking for a savage training day, we’ll post routes and support you with food/start time etc to ride there and back (~65k there and back plus 21 = 140ish km 😤)
How can I get there (Cherry)?
Expect a Thursday evening to be busy. So parking is limited. City bike is one good option, but sometimes finding a station to park it at Cherry Beach also sucks. So our best recommendation is ride your own bike there and we will watch it for you while you slay.
What's a time trial format?
A time trial is just you against the clock. You start individually at specified intervals (30 seconds, a minute apart etc). No mass start, wave start, rolling start, and no drafting at any point. It's you vs you because there’s nowhere to hide. No drafting. No pack. No shortcuts. A time trial teaches discipline, focus, pacing, and how to stay mentally locked in when things get uncomfortable. It’s one of the purest ways to test yourself and build confidence for your upcoming races.
Can I race with earphones / music?
Nope. You can't on race day and we practice what we race. Also - and we'll explain more - you want to tune into your body vs music to get the best out of yourself.
How do I stay up to date on events in the series?
Bookmark this post as we'll keep it up to date. Or event better, join our WhatsApp Community - we'll make announcements, get feedback and answers questions there.
What do you mean by semi-coached?
We’re going to hold a webinar the day before each event. In addition to being a race-day briefing, we'll also offer some light coaching and advice on how to best take advantage of the day. Things like: > How to work on a pacing strategy. > How do you time, pace, power goals. > Tips and tricks for the course, for transitions, for optimizing training if you’ve identified an area to do better. > How to mentally break down a race. And post race, we’ll have a hang out and opportunity to ask questions. In addition to all that, we have the community aspect to it as well. So more Q&A and observations.
What are the extra challenges?
We'll have a bunch of other Strava-based challenges for each event. These will go beyond KOM/QOM for the course and include segments both on and off course, other planned routes for those that want to tack-on additional training etc. They'll all count towards the overall series prizes and end of season partaayyyy! 🎉
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