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Toughest Endurance Race

22K views 101 replies 61 participants last post by  Mike123456 
#1 ·
Tough... difficult... epic... whatever.. Consider what you want (technical, length, duration, level of competition, weather, percent of racers who finish, etc.), but no fixed criteria... based on your own perceptions.

Basically, what is the most challenging race out there for those who like to go long on dirt.

I'll put out the third stage of the OMD in Portugal this year. OH MEU DEUS :: TRAIL BIKE :: NOTÍCIAS

August in Portugal with 500km (Euro-miles?),13,000m of vertical and a 66h time limit. Mostly fire roads with some singletrack and a few sections of pavement. First aid station was 90km in... I didn't finish the joint, so I hope they make it harder next year... I don't want any of that "well last year was tougher" after I roll the finish in 2013.

This thread has probably already been covered, but it is time for a refresher.
 
#65 ·
A Couple More For Thought

Just a couple more to think about (not that I have ever done them/could do them)

Iron Bike bills itself as the hardest and from what I've seen it looks like it is pretty damn tough. I posted up some video and some links on my work blog if you want to check it out HERE.

The now defunct Montezuma's Revenge ranked up there for sure too. No one ever actually finished the entire proposed route in the time limit. Although Josh Tostado put in one of the longest attempts during his 2005 win by racing for 156 miles and climbing 32,350 feet in 24 hours.

Also to reiterate what some previous posters said Yak Attack ranks up there (no pun intended) for sure. That is one sick HIGH elevation race.

From what I have covered for XXC Magazine and xxcmag.com, some of the hardest races out there now seem to be the self supported ITTs for sure. Colorado Trail Race, Arizona Trail Race, the Grand Loop, Vapor Trail, Stagecoach 400, etc., Great races that are super hard and free. No prizes, no free t shirts, etc., but some BIG ass routes that can be conquered by racers (not me, ha!).
 
#67 ·
For a one-day event, the 15-hour Patapsco 100 is looking to be brutal (~5,500 ft. of climb over a 33 mile loop x 3). The Mid Atlantic heat in July will take the starch out of some for sure and with that in mind, I'd say it will be tougher than the SM 100.
 
#69 ·
I have raced p2p, vision quest, Breck epic, 12 hr lap... These are a cake walk compared to unsupported ultras. The stagecoach 400 was very difficult as it is a midrange (relative to CTR) so you are putting yourself into the red but still have a long way to go with variables. In a 24 hr lap race, you can change clothes, have a meal, fix bike, warm up, cool down or even quit. In the ultra ITTs at times you keep riding, moving or perish. There are no course markers which is another physical/mental drain. Things can interesting in the darkness when your Garmin dies and no cell reception in middle of nowhere.
 
#72 ·
I still dream about a 150 mile MTB race with a course similar to the Wilderness 101 or SM100. Would have to set qualifications for entry, like finishing the SM101 in under 9:30 or the W101 in under 9:00 within the last year. Cut off times would be harsh and inflexible. Hold it on June 21st for the most daylight. Superfast people would finish in ~11 hours so normal fast and not doped would be finishing in ~ 13 hours.
 
#78 ·
I challenge everyone here to do Iron Bike before giving an answer to this thread. I can't see how any mtb event could be tougher. The stats don't do it justice but an average day out of the eight days would have about 4500 meters of climbing over about 80km, which is around 8-11 hours every day for most riders. Oh, and you'll spend a few hours every day doing hike a bike too.
 
#80 ·
I rode the A-strecke (211, 7050 meter climbing) of the Salzkammergut Trophy this year. I needed 15 hours to complete the race. It is a very tough race for sure but much is depending on the circumstance you have during the race. This year it was almost perfect and that made it a relative easy race.

Most difficult race has to be the Ironbike in Italy. You can read a nice race report here from Matt Page who finished fifth : Iron Bike 2013 - Round-up & Photos - A Cycling

In totally he needed 50 hours to ride/walk the 620 km and climb 29.000 meters.
 
#83 ·
OMD for 2014 is not on the calendar yet, but won't disappoint.
We'd like to get more foreigners in the mix.
Portugal in the summer should be an easy sell.

Part 1 of my race report linked below... Disclaimer: I'm a total hack at blogging and never found myself "in contention"
Cycling Rentals
 
#85 ·
Try this: Get Lost!! Running, Racing this year. It will be 40 hours in two stages in Henry Coe park, night and day. Since this is a rogaine (collect control points in any order), you can go as far or as little as you can. Oh, and you need to find your own way and plan the route. Not the longest of the toughest, but the format makes it more accessible to normal people. Solo, or teams up to five..

Henry Coe park means a LOT of climbing. And a lot of nice trails as well.
 
#92 ·
Oldie but goodie thread! We should probably separate all-day races and multi-day stage races.

I would have to vote for the Tour Divide for toughest stage race - no one has mentioned an actual MTB race with more mileage or elevation yet. It goes from Banff, Canada to the US/Mexico border, no support allowed. 2,745 miles and 200,000 feet of climbing, mostly high mountain passes in the Rockies. RAAM is insane, but the racers all have a whole crew following them - doctors, massage therapists, coaches, moral support, people to manage your nutrition, navigate, shine headlights in your path at night etc. Interesting book "Hell on two wheels" chronicling the lives of several racers doing RAAM one year (I think, 2009). On the Tour Divide, you have to navigate yourself, feed yourself, carry all of your water, tools and food, tent, sleeping bag, clothes, repair your bike yourself, charge your own lights, set up your tent or bivvy at night, manage your own pacing and race, sometimes dig your own toilet pit, run from grizzlies, etc. If you crash out in the middle of nowhere, there is no one there to give you first aid or take you to the hospital.

Fun stuff. :)
 
#93 ·
Oldie but goodie thread! We should probably separate all-day races and multi-day stage races.

I would have to vote for the Tour Divide for toughest stage race - no one has mentioned an actual MTB race with more mileage or elevation yet. It goes from Banff, Canada to the US/Mexico border, no support allowed. 2,745 miles and 200,000 feet of climbing, mostly high mountain passes in the Rockies. RAAM is insane, but the racers all have a whole crew following them - doctors, massage therapists, coaches, moral support, people to manage your nutrition, navigate, shine headlights in your path at night etc. Interesting book "Hell on two wheels" chronicling the lives of several racers doing RAAM one year (I think, 2009). On the Tour Divide, you have to navigate yourself, feed yourself, carry all of your water, tools and food, tent, sleeping bag, clothes, repair your bike yourself, charge your own lights, set up your tent or bivvy at night, manage your own pacing and race, sometimes dig your own toilet pit, run from grizzlies, etc. If you crash out in the middle of nowhere, there is no one there to give you first aid or take you to the hospital.

Fun stuff. :)
Tour Divide isn't a stage race.
 
#101 ·
It's certainly more mountain biking-specific than RAAM, which was also mentioned here, and the reason I posted in the first place.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Agreed. I think we can agree that neither RAAM nor the divide are mountain biking, even though people have successfully completed both on mtb's.
 
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