Multiple Records at the 2026 Arkansas High Country Race Northwest Loop

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

This year’s 240-mile Northwest Arkansas High Country Race Loop was record-breaking in every way. After being raced only once in 2021, the excitement for its return was obvious when Bentonville was announced as the new host city. With over 18,000 feet of elevation gain, the route is a balanced mix of fast, flowy gravel with some engaging forest road riding, connected by a few notably long stretches of pavement. While many riders are still out on the route savoring their own experience, each of this year’s category winners beat the previous event records and deserves a massive pat on the back.

Men’s Winner

From Grapevine, Texas, John Austin Whittington took the overall win with an astonishingly fast time of 14 hours and 37 minutes. Besting the previous FKT by several hours, John controlled the race from the start, never once seeing another rider after the first half an hour of racing. Coming into the race with strong intentions, John kept his pedals to the metal, stopping only once to top off fluids in Oark around the halfway mark. Carrying his three-liter bladder in the lower compartment of his frame bag, John rode his Forma carbon gravel bike with a 2x SRAM Red group. Rolling on Continental rubber, he ran a 700 x 50mm Dubnital up front and the fast-rolling 700 x 45mm Terra Competition in the rear.

Just over two hours into the race, John made quick work of a nail that had gone through his rear tire in two places. Never losing any air, he pulled it out and double-plugged the punctures before carrying on without any additional setbacks. Putting on a masterclass in consistency, technical bike handling, and aerodynamics, John has set the bar incredibly high on this iconic variation of the ARHC Race.

Women’s Winner

From Bella Vista, Arkansas, Morgan Chaffin took the women’s win with an official time of 18 hours and 52 minutes. Riding a Winspace G3 carbon gravel bike, Morgan also ran Continental tires: a 2.2″ Race King up front and a 2.0″ Race King in the rear. Finishing sixth overall in a strong field, she maintained her lead throughout the rest of the race, holding off a strong second-place rider, Mackenzie Marcinco.

Summiting White Rock Mountain late into the night, Morgan and other front-pack riders encountered several hours of a steady drizzle followed by a thick fog, making an already technical descent even more engaging, all on the tail end of a one-push epic. Dropping over seven hours off of the previous women’s fastest time, Morgan has also set the bar extremely high.

Pairs Winner

Never before offered on the Northwest Loop race, the Velovit duo of Aaron Messer and Richard Bergeron have established a pairs FKT with an official finish time of 16 hours and 38 minutes. Setting out with strong intentions of a sub-17-hour ride, Aaron and Richie leaned on their bond from start to finish, ultimately finishing second overall, just five minutes ahead of solo rider Jackson Simmons.

Within the rules of the pairs category, riders can draft and otherwise support one another, creating a unique dynamic and overall riding experience. With six registered pairs in this year’s Northwest Loop race, the category is quickly becoming more popular, and these two have set the standard for full-tilt, self-supported partner racing here in the Arkansas High Country.

Singlespeed Winner

Joe Fox is no stranger to the ARHC Race, already claiming the Singlespeed FKT on both the Central and South Loops. Early yesterday morning, Joe added the Northwest Loop to his event-specific FKT list with an official finish time of 22 hours and 14 minutes. Riding his steel Chuba Terlingua with a 38x19T gear ratio, Joe admitted to riding a bit too strong off the start and slowly settled into his rhythm early in the afternoon. Joe made three resupply stops along the route, first in Eureka Springs at route mile 50, followed by a quick stop in Kingston at mile 90, and a final re-up in Oark just over 130 miles in.

Establishing a new SS FKT time for the event, Joe’s incredibly strong effort comes in behind fellow singlespeed rider Jacob Loos’s ITT time of 21 hours 23 minutes in July of 2023.

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.

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.