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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.
 
#14 ·
Iditabike, for a mega distance race
if you can't walk or bike, you die. when on your own between check points you don't have any help and no options for bailing out

Northshore Overlord 6 Hour, for a shorter endurance race
ride as many different steep rocky rooty technical trails as you can in 6 hours. The moment you lose energy and focus and become sloppy, you are done (won't kill you though unless you are really stupid or have too much ego)

For most of the other races I've tried, the cut off times are so generous, they aren't that hard to finish if you are fit and well prepared (ie, you are more than just a weekend warrior)
Some ultra high altitude races might be tough too, because altitude sickness can kill you
 
#91 ·
I did in 2012 in just under 13 hours. Tinker raced too and finished in 9:42 to give you some perspective. Lots of single track and fire road, a little pavement. Lots of hiking. New course for this year. Northlanderevents.com. I'm considering doing it but not sure just yet with all the family stuff going on between now and August 15.
 
#2 ·
All lot of people would say either CDTR or CTR. Stage races are their own animal and can have difficulty factors based on different reasoning - terrain, typical weather/conditions, time in the saddle, etc. As to one day events there are a of of tough 100 milers out there. The Vapor trail adds another 125 miles onto an already tough course. My home town 100 miler the Breck 100 is considered one of the hardest 100 milers but like I said, there are a lot of tough races out there and there's going to be a lot of opinions/favorites.
 
#7 ·
TDR isn't really a stage race. A stage race is a series of individual races with starts and finishes. TDR and CTR are long point to point races. It' my understanding that TDR isn't necessarily the hardest from a terrain point of view - it's mostly dirt roads (not that that is easy, it's just not 2000+ miles of rocky singletrack). What sets TDR apart is the distance and isolation and all that comes with that.

If the CTR was the same distance as the TDR......... :eekster:
 
#8 ·
I agree, ZRM. From a terrain point of view, Tour Divide doesn't compare. Still slightly more complicated than Leadville (Hadn't seen leadville pooped on yet in the thread, felt like it was time.)

However, the distance (2700+ miles) the distance per day the winners go (170+ miles) and the isolation/logistics needed are the tough part. When you have 200 miles of absolutely nothing, and the only place you have to stock up is an old gas station? Situation gets real, real fast.

That being said, I'd love to do a stage race.
 
#19 ·
I have never done a 100 miler, but I tried the P111K in Pisgah last May. The winning time for this 69 mile race was 6:57, which is longer than most of the winners' times for 100 milers. The hard part of this one doesn't even start until you already have 50 miles in your legs and then you have a 3,000 ft. climb with multiple HAB sections.

I didn't finish, along with about 25% of the other starters. Maybe not THE toughest race out there, but it sure kicked my butt.
 
#23 ·
Tough... difficult... epic... whatever..
That's all up to you. The route does not make a race tough. Tough comes simply from pushing yourself to (and beyond) your limits. This can happen in the local short track race or out on the Tour Divide.

You can also go easy at the local short track trace or on TDR.

Tough is what you bring not what the course brings.
 
#25 ·
This is a tough question to answer, since not many people have raced in all of the potential candidates for "hardest endurance race." Mike C. is probably the most qualified guy to respond so far, since he's done most (all?) of the biggies.

I also like the way that Mike breaks down the races by the number of days. I've only raced the CTR and ITTed Kokopelli's--and they are actually surprisingly difficult to compare. The CTR is obviously a LOT longer and far more committing, which would make it seem like it should be harder. But the all-out effort required to complete Koko quickly is pretty damn challenging. Apples and oranges?

I find it revealing that two of the three on Jeff's list are ones that he wasn't able to complete. The unslayed beast is always the most feared. I wonder if his list will change when he knocks these two off!
 
#32 ·
For one day on Dirt, I don't think it gets harder than Vapor Trail 125. Breck 100 is darn close because of terrain, but the simplicity of not riding 8 hours in the dark (and hiking a 13,000 ft peak with your bike on your back in that dark) makes it an easier event to finish
 
#42 ·
People used to ask me why I didn't ever to Montezuma's Revenge. (or some reason I can't understand they thought it was right up my alley :lol:) My reply was "because I have no desire to hump my bike over the top of Greys Peak in the middle of the night". :lol:

I'm the course designer of the Breck 100 and my philosophy has always been a little hike a bike is fine but keep it to not much more than 45 min or so. I think most people don't mind some walking, but most prefer to suffer while pedaling, not walking. When Thane changed loop 1 of the B100 to go up Miners Creek to the crest of the Ten Mile one year, the vast majority of the racers didn't like it because it added so much hike a bike. Yes, it was harder, but that didn't necessarily add any enjoyment to the loop so Thane changed it back to the original layout the next year.

Of course everyone's different with what they like and want. Pick your poison, there are plenty of sufferfests out there to choose from.
 
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