ELK RIVER -- If ever there was a day when volunteers made an undeniable difference at a race, Sunday's Single Track Attack! in Elk River was that day.

Nearly two dozen volunteers were on site by 5 a.m. race morning, chainsaws in hand, to help clean up the trails after severe storms damaged several sections of the course Saturday night.

The volunteers -- many of whom would race later in the day -- spent more than three hours on the Hillside Park trails, methodically removing debris and cutting trees that were damaged by tornadic winds and hail less than 24 hours before.

"The volunteers made all the difference -- they made this race," said race director Rich Omdahl. "I had a crew of volunteers with lights and saws ready to be here at midnight, ready to work all night if we had to. We were here at 5 a.m., just waiting for the sunrise. As soon as we had light, we went to work."

And that was just the start of the volunteer presence.

The city of Elk River helped recruit an additional two dozen volunteers Sunday, who did everything from guide traffic, to operate concessions, to offer hundreds of water handups to thirsty racers gasping for hydration.

Speaking for myself, I would have probably dehydrated Sunday afternoon on my third lap if not for those handups: While the race morning started out cool and cloudy, the afternoon woods turned into a sweltering jungle once the clouds cleared.

"As soon as the sun came out, you could feel the temperature in the woods just shoot up," said Pro/Elite Trek racer Brendan Moore. "You could feel the moisture coming out of the ground."

Of course, that's because Elk River received nearly an inch of rain in the passing storms the night before -- rain that you think would have left the trails muddy, sloppy and unrideable. (Because, of course, muddy races are what the 2010 MnMTB Series needs more of this year).

The reality: The sandy Hillside Park soil quickly absorbed the rain, leaving but just a few greasy corners by the start of the Citizen race.

"The course was MINT," Moore said. "I have never seen it better."

Omdahl described this year's course as a particular challenge, regardless of the weather. Even seasoned veterans were licking their wounds after three laps. "A lot of people took good beatdowns out there today," Omdahl said.

Moore couldn't have agreed more. Moore crashed on the first lap on the stair descent; the large, red scrape on his chin all but detailed what broke his fall. Then he broke his chain.

"There's no forgiveness out there -- it's a challenge at every turn," Moore said. "Between the crash and my mechanical, it just wasn't my day out there.

"And Cody was riding really strong."

By Cody, he meant Cody Larson, who won the overall Expert race, completing three full laps, and the prologue, in 1:55:19. He beat Moore by nearly a minute. LCR's Rebecca Sauber won the Elite women race, completing two laps in 1:37:25. Penn Cycle's John Sandberg of Prior Lake won the Comp men class; Lucas Hieb won the men's Sport race; 13-year-old Jordan Horner won the women's Sport race; Trent Thompson won the Citizen men's race; and Beth Shedd won the Citizen women.

Nearly 400 racers turned out for the event Sunday, topping last year's turnout by five, Omdahl said.

"It was the perfect turnout," Omdahl said. "This is our capacity right here. And the weather probably kept some people away."

Just like the swag probably drew some. There was more swag than mud at this race, with prizes ranging from GPS mapping devices to cutlery sets. Between that and the party on wheels from Red Bull, the whole day could only be described as dynamite fun.

"Everything seemed to go perfectly," Omdahl said. "It just went great. Everything worked."

And how. This is how races should be run.

Troy Melhus is a Saint Paul writer and racer for the Peace Coffee Racing Team. He can be reached at tmelhus@mac.com