July 11, 2004 – The super-tough pinnacle of mountain bike endurance, the Marathon Worlds, produced two worthy champions. Set in Bad Goisern, Austria, Gunn Rita Dahle of Norway took the women’s event by nearly twenty minutes over Russia’s Irina Kalentieva. Raced over an exhausting 105.7 km, the men’s race was won by Massimo de Bertolis (Italy) over Thomas Dietsch (France) and former Olympic champ, Bart Brentjens (Netherlands). No Canadians were entered.

Elite women:
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Norway) 5.28.12
2. Irina Kalentieva (Russia) 19.44
3. Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia) 21.32
4. Andrea Huser (Switzerland) 23.34
5. Doris Posch (Austria) 27.18
6. Daniela Louis (Switzerland) 32.36
7. Dolores Mächler-Rupp (Switzerland) 33.53
8. Martina Deubler (Austria) 37.58
9. Susan M Haywood (USA) 40.18
10. Anna Ferrari (Italy) 40.46
11. Katrin Schwing (Germany) 45.03
12. Anna Bickei ROV 49.13
13. Melissa Thomas (USA) 49.39
14. Alexandra Hober (Italy) 52.01
15. Birgit Jüngst (Germany) 54.19
16. Fabienne Heinzmann (Switzerland) 55.33
17. Almut Grieb (Germany) 55.49
18. Katerina Hanusová (Czech Republic) 56.58
19. Mette Andersen (Denmark) 57.30
20. Tarja Owens (Ireland) 57.56

Elite men:
1. Massimo de Bertolis (Italy) 4.37.32
2. Thomas Dietsch (France) 2.20
3. Bart Brentjens (Netherlands) 2.37
4. Martin Kraler (Austria) 3.52
5. Dario Acquaroli (Italy) 4.45
6. Marzio Deho (Italy) 6.00
7. Stefan Sahm (Germany) 10.37
8. Alban Lakata (Austria) 11.15
9. Karl Platt (Germany) 11.48
10 Carsten Bresser (Germany) 12.23
11. Sandro Späth (Switzerland) 13.04
12. Hannes Genze (Germany) 13.12
13. Tim Böhme (Germany) 14.50
14. Johann Pallhuber (Italy) 15.09
15. Roland Stauder (Italy) 15.27
16. Peter Riis Andersen (Denmark) 17.49
17. Christoph Soukup (Austria) 17.57
18. Mannie Heymans (Namibia) 17.58
19. Pascal Cattin (Switzerland) 18.16
20. Kristian Hynek (Czech Republic) 18.24