Meaghan Hackine, stopping to re-fuel at the Blackfoot Angler shop in Montana, in a photo captured by store owner Kathy Schoendoerfer.

Kelowna woman bikes Banff to Mexico in world’s longest off-pavement race

June 18, 2024 // by Jacqueline Gelineau

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Kelowna’s Meaghan Hackinen is riding over some of North America’s tallest peaks on her way to the Tour Divide finish line, more than 4,400 kilometres away, in Antelope Wells, New Mexico., on the US border with Mexico.

The mammoth off-road bike race began on June 14, with the ‘Grand Depart’ from Banff, Alberta.

Riders set off, ready to navigate and take care of themselves for the next 4,400 km.

By the time they arrive in Antelope Wells, the riders will have climbed nearly 200,000 feet of vertical gain (equivalent to climbing to the summit of Mount Everest from sea level seven times), after crisscrossing through the Continental Divide mountain range.

According to the Tour Divide website, the iconic race is the longest continuous off-pavement cycling route in the world.

While the Tour Divide is widely considered to be the most famous off-pavement cycling route in the United States – with the race drawing hundreds of competitors around the world each year – it remains true to its dirt roots and is notoriously low-key.

The website for the Tour Divide has not been updated since 2016, and registration for the event is completely free. Racers are encouraged to simply sign up by emailing in a “letter of intent.” However, riders are also welcome simply to show up on the morning of the race and just set off.

There’s also no prize money and no awards ceremony, nor are there aid stations or course markings. Riders are required to be entirely self-sufficient, stopping at shops along the way to refuel.

On the third day of the race, Kelowna’s Hackinen stopped in at the Blackfoot Angler shop in Ovando, Montana. Kathy Schoendoerfer, one of the owners of the fishing shop has been posting updates to Facebook, whenever possible, with photos of all the racers who stop in to re-stock their fuel and fluids.

Some 215 riders are currently racing to New Mexico and as of June 17, Hackinen is situated in fifth place overall and in first place for the women’s category.

At that point, she had completed 1,067 km of the race and was on-pace to finish the race in 18 days. People can follow along with the live tracker at dotwatcher.cc for updates on all of the riders’s progress.

Learn more about the event at bikepacking.com.

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