A married father of three was killed Friday in a bike accident during a Florida endurance race that was slated to conclude in St. Augustine, authorities and race organizers said.
Jason Schmidt, 41, was competing as a solo participant in the Sea to Sea Adventure Race when he was involved in a fatal vehicle accident while on course. Schmidt was hit by a car, a source told The Citizen.
Organizers said the incident occurred during the multi-day expedition race, which spans hundreds of miles across the state and finishes in St. Augustine.
Event producer Warrior Adventure Racing immediately stopped the race following the crash.
“Warrior Adventure Racing confirms that a solo participant in today’s Sea to Sea Adventure Race was involved in a fatal vehicle accident,” the organization said in an official statement. “The race has been stopped effective immediately. Emergency services responded to the scene, and we are fully cooperating with local authorities as they conduct their investigation.”
All remaining racers were removed from the course. Participants were gathered at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park before being transported to the finish area at the Quality Inn in St. Augustine.
“Our hearts are with the racer’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read.
The Florida Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. Authorities have not publicly released the precise location of the crash, only that it occurred while Schmidt, of South Carolina, was on the race course.
The Sea to Sea Adventure Race is a navigation-based competition that challenges athletes to trek, mountain bike and paddle across varied terrain, including forests, rivers and rural roadways.
Friends and family remembered him as an affectionate husband and devoted father who embraced adventure and community.
He is survived by his wife, Liz, and their three children.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $25,000 for Schmidt’s family.
“A charismatic dreamer, visionary, and lifelong seeker of new and uncharted experiences, Jason lived fully and without fear,” the campaign read. “It is impossible to detail all of the roles that Jason played in the lives of the ones that he loved because his spirit is too big to be bound by words.”
