32 starters showed up. 15 x 2 person teams and 2 individuals. In attendance was one of the original Gut Check 5, Jeff Kriley, who had participated in every Gut Check. At 10:00am, time started and the teams were off. It was 23 degrees F, typical for most
Gut Checks. Cyclists who would suffer the brunt of the cold and wind, were bundled up with multiple layers. As predicted, there was a flat tire out on the course. Gary Greenwood, not prepared to change the flat, pushed his bike back to his
residence on the North Side, picked up his girlfriend's mountain bike and set back out. 
The teams started showing up right on time. They couldn't return prior to 11:50, otherwise they would be penalized 500 points. Only a few teams received any penalty points for arriving after 12 Noon, and in most cases it worked out to their advantage, as they were able to make it to some high value waypoints.
Start
This is only one story of someone "gutting it up". Most of the accounts of personal courage and intestinal fortitude will be known only to the individual that displayed them.The teams started showing up right on time. They couldn't return prior to 11:50, otherwise they would be penalized 500 points. Only a few teams received any penalty points for arriving after 12 Noon, and in most cases it worked out to their advantage, as they were able to make it to some high value waypoints.