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2025 Arkansas High Country Race: Who To Watch
With the 2025 Arkansas High Country Race kicking off tomorrow morning, six-time AHCR participant Aaron Arnzen is kicking off our coverage with a detailed look at the race’s history, notable records, and some names you should keep an eye on as the race unfolds. Dive into all the details here…
PUBLISHED Oct 3, 2025
Photos by Kai Caddy
The first weekend of October is officially here, and in the Natural State, that means it’s time for the Arkansas High Country Race. Returning for its seventh iteration, the ARHC is a 1,015-mile bikepacking race that follows the Adventure Cycling Route throughout the Northwest Corridor of the state, taking riders through the iconic Ozark National Forest in the north and the rugged, remote stretches of the Ouachita National Forest in the South. With a cumulative elevation gain of over 75,000 feet, the course has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most challenging mixed-terrain ultra-endurance cycling events in the United States, mile for mile.
Since the inaugural event launched out of Little Rock in 2019, many notable riders with vast experience in this sport have shared similar views, which gets us excited as we hone in on who to watch out for in this year’s race. But before we get into that, let’s comb over some of those notable rides from the last seven years of racing in the High Country.
RACE HISTORY
Before the inaugural Grand Depart in 2019, adventure junkie and ultra-endurance champion Rebecca Rush took the first stab at the route. While her April ITT saw some challenging weather conditions, her record ride of just over eight days set the tone for prominent mountain athletes here in Arkansas. After the 2019 Race Winner Mike Dicken dropped the Fastest Known Time to 6 days, 9 hours, ultra-endurance veteran Jay Petervary came to confirm its legitimacy, dropping the FKT to 5 days, 12 hours. That same Fall, Ashley Carelock dropped the women’s FKT to 7 days, 9 hours, while Ted King was the first to take the overall FKT under 5 days in his epic race with local legend Andrew Onermaa, rolling in with a time of 4 days, 22 hours. In the fall of 2021, Scotti Moody took the overall win while dropping the women’s FKT to 5 days, 10 hours. In 2022, Ernie Lechuga shaved 10 hours off the overall FKT, finishing in 4 days, 14 hours. The following year, Virginia native Abe Kauffman dropped it by another 4 hours, setting the current overall FKT at 4 days, 10 hours, 8 minutes. Last year’s race saw another woman take the overall win with Meaghan Hackinen’s record-setting ride of 5 days, 8 hours, 44 minutes.
2025 WOMEN
Turning to this year’s field, Katherine Anderson is our sole woman lining up for the Grand Depart, preparing to make her first attempt on the full route (ladies reading, this is your sign to put next year’s race on your calendar). Coming from Tulsa in neighboring Oklahoma, Katherine is no stranger to backcountry riding in Arkansas with a 3 day, 6 hour finish on the 430-mile Central Loop of the ARHC last fall. Katherine seems to be rolling into this year’s race with a solid Summer of riding and racing under her belt, including a notable 4 day, 12 hour finish at DOOM earlier this Spring. This race resume highlights her perseverance and grit, which adds a certain level of excitement and understanding as we prepare to watch her take on all 1,015 miles of the high country. Follow Katherine on Instagram here.
2025 MEN
Justinas Leveika
Scrolling through the rider list on Trackleaders, this is one name that bikepack racing fans around the world won’t miss. Running through Justinas’ resume is hardly necessary with a Triple Crown win in the States last season on the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race, and the Arizona Trail Race, helping him quickly earn a reputation as one of the sport’s premier riders, often earning the people’s choice award, and in turn his newfound nickname, the King of Chaos. Follow Justinas on Instagram here.
Matt Pike
Back for his second attempt on the ARHC route, Matt brings an incredible amount of speed and skilled riding to Russellville as he undoubtedly seeks to lay down a record run on the course. After calling it quits on Day 1 during last year’s ITT attempt, Matt has had a year to regroup for this more intentional effort, and his buildup to the event shows he’s been putting in the work. Matt took home 1st in the General Contention at this year’s Breck Epic after his blistering 35-hour ride on the DOOM course, which boasts 43,000 ft of elevation gain in 400 miles. Matt is also the current FKT holder on the Kokopelli Trail and Virginia Rockstar Trail routes. Follow Matt on Instagram here.
Ben Oney
Ben is returning for his second ride around the ARHC after clocking a seven-day finish in the 2022 iteration of the race, but not without his own bout of tire issues among other mechanicals. It’s safe to assume his previous experience on route has shaped his approach this year, as his tire choice has increased significantly in size. We’ll be keeping an eye on his dot this year, among several other experienced Twin City riders. Follow Ben on Instagram here.
Bryan Dougherty
Bryan is one of those Twin City riders preparing to make his debut on the ARHC, bringing with him some Arkansas Ozark riding experience from previous iterations of DOOM. Riding for Versus Racing, we’ll be excited to follow Bryan’s ride. Follow Bryan on Instagram here.
Nick Elliot
Nick is yet another one of those experienced Twin City riders who’re making their way to the start line. You may remember Nick from one of his notable record efforts on the MEGA Mid South Route last year. Claiming to be his longest race yet, he’ll surely be exciting to watch take on the ARHC. Follow Nick on Instagram here.
2025 SINGLESPEED
Andy Phillips
Andy is returning to the ARHC for the second year in a row, seeking redemption for his 8-day finish. Leaving his overgeared gravel bike at home, Andy comes with an entirely different approach this year, bringing a significantly easier geared mountain bike, sure to keep things interesting as he takes on the other two singlespeed racers.
Tanner Frady
From Oklahoma City, Tanner is another singlespeed racer to watch for, as he also returns for a second year in a row. Tanner won the singlespeed race last year with a time of 7 days, 16 hours, and has since added a successful Tour Divide Ride to his resume. Follow Tanner on Instagram here.
Preston Williams
Coming back to Arkansas for the second time this year, Preston comes from the Kansas City area and brings with him two years of DOOM experience in the Ozark Mountains.
ADDITIONAL RACE NOTES
Among the several mystery riders lining up this year, there are a handful of experienced ARHC riders, such as Jacob Waterman and 20-year-old Aiden Holmes, who we’re sure will keep this year’s race interesting. Alongside the full ARHC route, the 7th iteration of this event will also host the 430-mile Central Loop Race and the 250-mile Ozark Odyssey race, both featuring experienced fields of riders from around the country. Be sure to follow our ongoing coverage across all three race distances with the Grand Depart set for 7 AM CST on Saturday, October 4th.
Check out the 2025 Arkansas High Country Race Tracker page for updates, where you can follow along on the live tracking map and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.Further Reading
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