Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Yesterday morning, after 2 days, 15 hours, and 49 minutes—and just over 400 miles of rough Arkansas roads and trails—Natalie Peet became the first woman to finish the full 2025 Doom route. Find a recap of Natalie’s ride from Aaron Arnzen and photos captured during her race here…
Words and photos by Aaron Arnzen, additional photos by Kai Caddy
With an official time of 2 days, 15 hours, and 49 minutes, Natalie Peet is the women’s winner of this year’s Ozark Doom. With a win in last year’s 200-mile Despair race, the 600-mile North South Colorado Race, and another win at last year’s 450-mile Arkansas High Country Central Loop, Natalie is no stranger to big days deep in the Ozarks. From the start line of her first bikepacking race at Despair just last year, she has consistently carried herself with unmatched style and a steadfast approach to these rugged backcountry race experiences. She’s one of those riders you won’t forget sharing miles with on course.
This year’s Doom effort was no different, where despite harsh day one conditions, she maintained steady progress throughout the route. Hailing from the trail-dominant Northwest Arkansas corridor, “The Nat Daddy,” as she’s known among her friends, brought a vast amount of technical mountain biking experience to her race bid, and it showed as she exited the Buffalo Headwaters singletrack section well ahead of Carolyn Mason, the next closet woman. She maintained that lead throughout the majority of the race, regularly pushing toward the pointy end of the overall race leaders. Natalie stopped once the first night for a quick one-hour roadside rest, a second time for a one-hour nap at the TAT shack, and one final one-hour nap near Cass, Arkansas.
Alongside her strong mental game and physical ability, her bike and kit were also tested to the extremes, performing flawlessly throughout. She was sporting a brand-new, wildly custom steel hardtail from Slow Southern Steel. Based out of Fayetville, Arkansas, builder Jesse Turner designed this bike around a balance of notable creative expression and intentional ability for extreme backcountry riding right here in the Ozarks. Custom South City Stitchworks bags were eloquently integrated into and around the frame, which proved themselves through some of the harshest conditions, while also matching Natalie’s style and creative expression.
It was on the final gravel descent, after exiting the singletrack inside Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, where Natalie took a gnarly spill before slowly walking her bike up to the finish line and being showered with love and blankets from the intimate finish-line community. Out of precautionary measures, she was taken to an area hospital for further evaluation. While sitting around at the hospital, she wanted to share an image of her stoke with anyone concerned. As Natalie summed up her rollercoaster finish, “I lost some of my marbles right before the finish line—I didn’t need that weight anyway.”
Check out the Doom 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.
Further Reading
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