Hannah Simon Wins Women’s 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race

Photos by Lloyd Wright and Nils Laengner

Last night, 26-year-old Hannah Simon of Austin, Texas, became the first woman to finish the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR), wrapping up the challenging route in 8 days, 20 hours, and 16 minutes. Not only was Hannah the first woman to finish, but she also placed 9th overall, which is no easy feat considering the range of conditions and terrain the riders of the SRMR face.

Hannah spent the first half of the race not far from Emma Missale and Mona Stockhecke, but somewhere around 1,130 kilometers in, Hannah pulled ahead and held onto a solid lead over the rest of the women. At the time of her finish, she was approximately 200 kilometers ahead of Emma and Mona. According to the organizers, Hannah passed 10th place finisher David Nicholls on the final descent, finishing around 15 minutes faster.

Hannah had her fair share of challenges and setbacks during the race, but the most exciting was probably a broken pedal that resulted in her riding on her pedal spindle for over 400 kilometers before she could find a replacement. She successfully navigated thunderstorms, deep river crossings, and the extreme heat, which might have been slightly less severe coming from Texas. A massive congratulations goes out to Hannah, the other finishers, and everyone else still riding.

Check out the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race Tracker page for updates and to follow along on the live tracking map, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.

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