Rolling out of downtown Hot Springs in the early morning hours of Friday the 13th, the DOOM bikepacking event brought 250 adventure cyclists from over 40 states through the Northwoods and further into the depths of the Ouachita Mountains.
In its 5 year, this event has continued to grow into one of North America’s premier ultra-cycling experiences. This year’s route in the Ouachita’s offered riders an engaging off-road experience in a dynamic landscape full of steep, rocky, pine-covered ridges, surrounded by countless bodies of water. Centered in the diamond lakes region of Arkansas, the route took riders West from the healing Hot Springs of Garland county, crossing the Ouachita & Little Missouri Rivers before tracing the perimeter of Lake Ouachita. Weaving through the Flatside Wilderness area, the route touched the shores of Lake Sylvia & Lake Winona before circling back to Hot Springs. Connecting the IMBA Epic LOViT, Womble, & Ouachita Trail systems, riders accumulated over 110 miles of single track connected by mountainous gravel and rugged forest roads.
This year’s winner was 26 year old Cade Reichenbeger from the Denver, CO area who managed to complete the course in a blistering pace of just 1 day, 12 hours, and 33 minutes. His effort was heavily contested for the first half of the race from Kurt Refsnider, Jesse Reeves, & Austin Denton before pulling away during the overnight miles on the Ouachita Trail. Natalie Peet of Rogers, AR took the women’s overall win for the second year in a row with a time of 2 Days, 4 hours, 26 minutes, edging out Vermont based Paige Redman by just 4 hours.
Adding to an already exciting year of racing an all-new route, the new host city of Hot Springs added an extra layer of fun to the pre and post-ride celebrations. This new backdrop felt like a natural fit in the evolution of DOOM, allowing riders’ friends & families more opportunities to gather around food and drink with support from the community, all while maintaining the intimate, eccentric spirit of DOOM. Added up, there’s been an overwhelmingly positive response to the Race Headquarters in the historic Park Avenue district and its proximity to the Northwoods. We’re grateful to all of the Hot Springs community that made this such a memorable experience for all.
