As riders in the Arkansas High Country Race settle into their fifth day of pedaling, Aaron Arnzen offers a detailed update on how the race is progressing. Find his report with photos from Aaron, Monica Foltz, and Kai Caddy here…

Words by Aaron Arnzen, photos by Aaron Arnzen, Monica Foltz, and Kai Caddy

Ideal autumn weather has reached the Natural State during this first week of October, leading to an incredibly fast first half of this year’s Arkansas High Country Race. If you missed it earlier this week, the 245-mile Northwest Loop Race featured fast times across all categories.

With four days of riding behind them, the full ARHC loop riders have settled into their own rhythm, each with their own dynamic experience across this incredibly challenging 1,020-mile route.

Women’s Race

With women making up 33% of this year’s race, it’s (un)paved the way for some of the most exciting dot watching in event history. Beyond the competitive perspective of this year’s field, double-clicking into these riders’ stories shines a bright light on camaraderie and the sustainable spirit of self-supported ultra endurance cycling.

Out front, Michelle Roth has maintained a strong performance, currently sitting in fourth place overall. Descending off Flatside Pinnacle and into Hot Springs, Michelle shared her excitement for the change of pace the upcoming singletrack section would offer. An optional add-on to the core ARHC route, the singletrack variation lets riders experience the entire Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) and the southern portion of the Womble Trail, both IMBA Epic trail systems. ARHC veteran Lindsay Shephard currently holds the fastest women’s time at 8 days, 12 hours, and 4 minutes. On the morning of the fifth day of riding, Michelle is through the LOViT and approaching the Womble, 570 miles into the route. We’ve got our eyes on this unique story and look forward to following up as it continues to unfold.

Behind Michelle, Christi Tracy and Katherine Anderson are in second and third position, but for over a full day, Christi would’ve never known that. In the dark hours of the third morning, Christi’s phone ejected itself from the handlebars while she rode a rough section of forest road, and she was an hour down the road before she realized. Several hours behind Christi, Katherine found her phone and carried it with her throughout the next day as she tried to chase her down. Christi’s newfound appreciation for Arkansas hospitality grew from borrowing strangers’ phones to keep connecting the dots until she reached services in the Little Rock region.

After finding a hotel with Wi-Fi, she located a T-Mobile store and got a new phone before heading back out across the Ouachita Mountains. Around the same time, Katherine made the most of an extended stop in Conway, getting her bike serviced at “The Ride” bicycle shop.

Despite both riders rolling across the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock just miles apart, neither woman has seen the other since the start of the race. With Adela Nochebuena and Leigh Bowe also approaching the halfway point, there’s surely more excitement to unfold between the women.

Men’s Race

In the men’s race, previous race winner and FKT holder Ted King has been off the front from day one. Averaging over 225 miles per day, Ted has maintained an unprecedented pace and is now closing in on the final 100 miles. White Rock Mountain stands between him and the Razorback Greenway in Northwest Arkansas. With an estimated finish time just after midday, he’s on pace for a new course record. Justinas Leveika currently wears that crown with a time of 4 days, 9 hours, 25 minutes.

Behind Ted, Minnesotan Bryan Dougherty is riding a strong second-place ride, but not without his own share of setbacks. Making great time across the Northern Ozarks and through the Arkansas River Valley, Bryan overcame a malfunctioning pump while fixing a tire issue near Hatfield, in the Southern Ouachita Mountains. He rebuilt the pump before climbing up and over Rich Mountain, the course’s highest point. After rolling through Black Fork Mountain in the wee hours of the morning, Bryan found refuge at a volunteer trail magic stop at the base of Poteau Mountain.

Trail Magic

ARHC race veterans may recall meeting Albert and Jake on route in the iconic Poteau Valley, just inside the Oklahoma border. These two local paddling enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to extend some southern hospitality to racers passing through the area, curating a checkpoint in an otherwise remote stretch of the Ouachita Mountains. With a rich understanding of the area and a palpable enthusiasm for big mountain adventure, their generosity has been well received from this year’s racers at all hours of the day.

Stay tuned for continued coverage across the field as the race unfolds throughout the next five days.

Check out the Arkansas High Country Race 2026 Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, watch for ongoing race updates, and tune in for more event coverage. Find it here.

Further Reading

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