Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
A few hours ago, Devin Royal was the first to complete the 430-mile Central Loop at the 2025 Arkansas High Country Race, with a final time of just over two days. Learn more about Devin’s ride here…
Words by Aaron Arnzen, photos by Kai Caddy and Monica Foltz
As the second-largest distance at this year’s Arkansas High Country Race (AHCR), the Central Loop is a 430-mile section of the full ARHC route that stacks up a hefty 34,000 feet of elevation gain throughout the northern Ozarks. Rolling back into downtown Russellville with an official finish time of 2 days, 1 hour, and 3 minutes, Devin Royal of Pearland, Texas, is the winner of this year’s Central Loop Race. Topping his East Texas Showdown ride earlier this year, this was the longest ride to date for the 33-year-old mountain biker at heart.
His depth of experience riding mountain bikes surely aided in this successful ride as he managed to circumnavigate the extremely engaging route on his Cervelo Aspero. Rolling on just 40mm wide Pirelli Centurato Gravel H tires, Devin managed to keep a clean ride, escaping without any mechanical setbacks. With just a 34-tooth cog in the back, Devin was open about his gearing challenges on a handful of the sustained climbs on course, yet he confidently stated he’d have no issue riding the same bike on the same course again.
After 183 miles of riding, Devin made the most of a quick reset at the Witt Springs Community Center. This publicly available, cyclist-friendly hub in the depths of the rural Ozarks is a clutch mental checkpoint for riders on route. Devin pocketed an hour of rest and a quick shower there before starting his second push East toward Mountain View.
Three to four 10-minute parking lot naps allowed Devin to connect the dots on the remainder of the route before his finish at 8:03 a.m. local time on day three, coming in just three hours after the FKT set by Matthew Porter at last year’s race. Calm, cool, and collected, Devin was greeted by his wife and kids before joining a small group of area race supporters around a table full of breakfast delicacies from Stoby’s, a local downtown eatery. Eyes are now shifting towards Central Loop Single Speed riders Joe Fox and Christopher Farney, who are closing in on the finish and the SS FKT.
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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