Meet Jim Knight

Jim Knight, Co-Founder

Jim learned values of discipline, organization, and goal-setting at a very young age.  The son of a career Army Officer, he attended West Point, graduated in 1983, and served ten years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer.  He completed his military service working with General Powell's Joint Staff in the Pentagon 1990-93, where he assisted in planning Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and many humanitarian relief operations in Former Soviet Republics.  Jim settled in San Diego in 1993 where he acquired a franchise retail sporting goods company.  He later expanded into Los Angeles then sold the company and moved into corporate finance with Morgan Stanley from 1997 to 1999 and was an independent registered principal until 2003.  Jim is currently Managing Member of Shadow Tour, LLC, producing cycling events in Southern California. 

On the athletic side, Jim has been active all his life. His major accomplishments include twelve marathons with a Personal Record (PR) of 2:33:34 at the 1992 Marine Corps Marathon.  He has raced in over 60 triathlons and six Ironman distance races, including two Hawaii Ironman finishes in 1995 (PR 9:55) and 2003. He has completed many century and double century rides, including the Lake Tahoe Death Ride and Big Bear Mt. Breathless Agony. In July 2004, Jim rode the Inaugural Shadow Tour with business partner Larry Gitman, replicating the entire three-week 2004 Tour De France in Southern California.

Jim in Temecula
Jul 10, '10 on Solo Shadow Tour Rest Day
at Callaway Winery in Temecula, CA.
In October 2004 Jim teamed up with Larry as "Team Yak" at the 21st annual Furnace Creek 508 mile race through Death Valley.  The rookie team won their division and set a new course record for a Two-man, 50+ Team, by over 30 minutes.  Jim and Larry returned in 2005 with two additional teammates and established a new course record for the 4-man, 50+ Team.  In the blazing Southern California heat in July of 2006, Jim experienced the ultimate Shadow Tour by completing a Solo replica of the 2006 Tour De France.  In July 2007, Jim completed his 2nd Solo Shadow Tour, including the 6 fearsome 400 km stages in the original 1903 Tour De France race with a 300 mile final stage.  In July 2008, Jim completed his 3rd Solo Shadow Tour, with the first 600 miles completed in the first three days entirely in San Diego county's high country.  In Oct '08, Jim completed a Tribute Ironman to honor the memory of endurance athlete legend, Barbara Warren (1943-2008), who lived an inspired and memorable life.  In July 2009, Jim completed his 4th Solo Shadow Tour, including 8 summits of Palomar Mountain in the first four stages.  In July 2010, Jim completed his 5th Solo Shadow Tour, in his fastest pace of 16.74 mph, with the most climbing to date, with 155,485 ft.

Jim lives, works, and trains in sunny San Diego, CA.
  Jim in Julian
          2010 Solo Shadow Tour in Julian, CA 
 
  Jim at LH
     2010 Solo Shadow Tour at Lake Henshaw, CA
Mt Laguna Classic 2010
           Mt. Laguna Classic, 3rd Lap, Apr 17, '10 
  
        Apline Challenge 2 Apr 24 10
Alpine Challenge, Jim and Drew Peterson, Apr 24, '10 
Jim in Idyllwild 325 x 284
          2009 Solo Shadow Tour in Idyllwild, CA
 
              Yellow Jersey 220 x 318
        2009 Solo Shadow Tour, 5th tour complete!
 
2008 Interbike George and Jim v2
                  Jim meets George Hincapie
                2008 Interbike, Las Vegas, NV
 
       2008 Interbike Phil and Jim
                 Jim spooks Phil Liggett (jk)
               2008 Interbike, Las Vegas, NV
2008 SC Jim in Remac
2008 Solo Shadow Tour, Jim chows down in Remec, CA
 
                2007 ST Lake Henshaw 2
      2007 Solo Shadow Tour at Lake Henshaw, CA
 

2005 Furnace Creek
             2005 Furnace Creek 308, Team Yak 
             Jim nears base of Townes Pass Climb


  2006 Solo Shadow Tour at Box Canyon, CA


     2004 Furnace Creek 508 Team Yak, CA City, CA
 
 2004 FC
  2004 Furnace Creek 508 Jim nears Panamint Valley
 

      2004 Furnace Creek 508 Team Yak, Kelso, CA
2002 Death Ride
            2002 Death Ride, Lake Tahoe, NV

Jim's Riding Results:

    Shadow Tours (replacas of the entire Tour De France):

 

Year of Tour: 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Miles Ridden: 2,111 2,274 2,222 2,189 2,140 2,267
Time: 142:06:00 143:31:33 149:51:55 137:21:16 129:28:28 135:22:09
Average Speed Mph: 14.85 15.84 14.83 15.94 16.53 16.74
Feet Climbed: 107,460 126,772 134,970 142,891 150,022 155,485
Weight lost: 18 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbs 13 lbs 12 lbs 12 lbs
Flat tires: 1 1 1 1 2 3
Participants:  JK & LG Solo Solo Solo Solo Solo

    Daily Blogs:

    2010:  Click here
    2009:  Click here
    2008:  Click here
    2007:  Click here
    2006:  Click here
    2004:  Click here
                        
        
Stagecoach Century Individual Time Trials:

     Date   Dist   Time Avg                                                    Notes                                                              
Dec 21, '09 100 4:48:50  20.8  Start 5:59 A.M. 49F; high 63, 0-3 mph winds SSE, solo TT, t/a 2:39, light
Dec 12, '09 100 5:17:38 18.9 Start 7:14 A.M. 48F; high 63, 3-5 mph winds S, indiv TT, t/a 2:46, heavy
Dec 3, '09 100 5:27:44 18.3 Start 6:18 A.M. 49F; high 69, med wind up, flat back, solo, t/a 2:57, heavy
Nov 26, '09 100 5:26:35 18.4 Start 5:56 A.M. 53F; high 76, med wind up, flat back, solo, t/a: 2:59, heavy
Mar 19, '09 100 5:12:10 19.2 Start 6:55 A.M. 55F; high 89, mixed wind SW 5-8 mph, solo, t/a: 2:55, light
Mar 4, '09 100 5:46:22 17.3 Jamming winds entire northbound section, solo, heavy training bike/wheels
Mar 4, '08 100 4:57:10 20.2 Start 6:11 A.M. 43F; high 70F, winds W-NW 3-6 MPH, solo, t/a 2;47 light
Feb 28, '08 100 5:10:23 19.3 Temps in low 80's, solo, t/a 2:48, light bike/wheels
Feb 2, '08 100 5:17:27 18.9 Solo, t/a: 2:48, light bike/wheels
Jan 23, '08 100 5:30:02 18.2 Solo, heavy training bike/wheels
Dec 21, '07 100 6:47:08 14.7 Birthday Spin Ride with Larry G.
Dec 16, '07 100 5:29:19 18.3 Solo, t/a: 3:04, heavy training bike/wheels
Nov 24, '07 100 5:28:44 18.3 Solo, t/a: 3:00, heavy training bike/wheels
Nov 3, '07 100 5:45:00 17.3 Solo, t/a: 3:07, heavy training bike/wheels
Mar 22, '07 100 5:57:08 16.8 Solo, heavy
Oct 21, '06 100 5:24:19 18.5 Solo, heavy
Jun 27, '04 100 5:48:49 17.2 Solo, heavy

Salton Sea Century Individual Time Trials:

Date Dist   Time Avg                                             Notes
Sep 19, '08 100 5:05:38 19.6 New course, early am start, 100F, low winds, solo
Apr 12, '08 100 5:15:02 19.0 New 2008 course, pm start, 80's, mod winds, 2 hrs at night, solo
Sep 22, '07 100 6:00:07 16.7 Course for 2007, sunny and warm, tough winds in pm, solo
Oct 28, '06 97.6 5:30:10 19.3 Proposed SSC course, temps in low 90's, rode w/Randy C.

Other Rides and Races:

Ride Date Dist Time Avg Plc                             Notes
Alpine Challenge  Apr 24, '10  71.45  3:44:36  19.1  3rd  Cool start, minimal wind, perfect riding weather!
Mt. Laguna Classic Apr 17, '10  101.1  6:17:00  16.0 13th Freezing start, warmed during ride, mild winds.  
Alpine Challenge Apr 26, '08 72.37 3:56:27 18.4 4th Clear & bright, warm temps in high 70s
Tour de Poway Oct 7, '07 103.9 5:21:18 19.4 12th Nice weather, Swami's dropped me on last 12 mi.

Ironman:

Date            Name of Event O/A  A/G   Swim    Bike    Run    Total Time  HI IM
Oct 10, '08   Barbara Warren Tribute Ironman n/a n/a 1:12:00   5:52:00   4:22:00   12:08:07
Oct 18, '03 Hawaii Ironman 569  70 1:09:11   5:21:54 4:02:49   10:41:08
Mar 3, '01 New Zealand Ironman 313  37 1:03:26   5:24:59 4:42:16   11:16:32
May 20, '00 California Ironman 204  43 1:16:23   5:30:47 4:20:30   11:14:15   
Oct 7, '95 Hawaii Ironman 143  34 1:02:00   5:20:18 3:34:21     9:56:39
Mar 19, '95 New Zealand Ironman 52  15 1:06:38   5:59:23 3:20:21   10:32:42    Q

Triathlon:

Date       1993 Triathlon Season (32 y/o)  O/A A/G Swim    Bike    Run Total Time HI IM
May 1, '93 Wildflower Half Ironman 11 1 30:28 2:26:27 1:28:22   4:28:44 Q
Jun 27, '93 San Diego International Triathlon 4 2 14:55    44:37    33:41   1:35:24
Jul 31, '93 Vineman Half Ironman 4 1    Unk       Unk 1:28:14   4:19:01
Aug 15, '93   Mike & Rob's Most Excellent Half Ironman 5 2 29:04 2:06:42 1:17:05   3:52:51 Q