Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
A massive congratulations goes out to Natalie Peet for becoming the first woman to finish the 2026 DOOM event in Arkansas this week. Natalie finished the 330-mile route in just 2 days, 4 hours, and 26 minutes. Find a written recap and photos from Aaron Arnzen with additional photos from Kai Caddy here…
Words and photos by Aaron Arnzen, additional photos by Kai Caddy
Looking in the rear view, Natalie Peet’s first-ever ultra bikepacking race was the 2024 edition of DOOM, where she ended up winning the 200-mile Despair race. Just two years later, Natalie has now claimed the overall women’s win in back-to-back fashion here at DOOM. As competition across the field continues to grow, drawing riders from around the country, this is an outstanding feat for any rider. For those who haven’t been following along, in the spirit of DOOM, this year’s route has far more singletrack than any previous edition, and it’s presumably the most difficult for that reason. Totalling 330 miles, 2026 finishers have seen elevation gain totals averaging between 38,000 and 40,000 feet, with over 110 miles of singletrack scattered throughout.
Having a riding background in mountain biking with a notable interest in Enduro racing, these evolutions of the DOOM course cater to Natalie’s riding style. Her grit and determination further support her bid to sustain these long, multi-day efforts in the backcountry, and that’s exactly what we witnessed this past weekend.
Heading into the morning of the Grand Depart, Natalie’s plan was to keep her efforts in cruise control for as long as possible, knowing that the route was going to get progressively more difficult. Rolling from the start, she mentioned feeling fatigued throughout the first morning, simply not having the legs she had hoped for. Rolling into the first resupply at mile 80, a quick check on the tracker led her to believe she had created a solid gap on second-place rider Michelle Roth. After sitting down for a short meal and chatting with a few other riders, Michelle rolled up, proving the tracker slightly behind its last update. For the duration of that first evening, the two riders shared miles through the Albert Pike recreation area, tagging the Tall Peak Tower out-and-back together before rolling into the next resupply in Big Fork, Arkansas.
After loading up on grilled cheese sammies in Big Fork, third-place rider Paige Redman caught the two of them as they were rolling out toward the trailhead of the Womble, the second backcountry trail system on route. Notably, it was at this trailhead that Natalie recalls finally giving in to the gym-rat technique of dry-scooping pre-workout and element packets, ultimately learning to appreciate the energy boost. That boost in energy may have been the fuel she needed to try to make an attack on Michelle a couple of miles into the trail. To her dismay, Natalie made two wrong turns and reconvened with Michelle shortly after.
It’s in these moments that she recalls battling the internal dialogue of race ethics like friendship, camaraderie, and competition, which ultimately led her to question the overarching “why” behind these types of events and efforts. This was still on her mind as she nestled down in the pines for a nap, sticking to her plan of one intentional reset before the second push. During that rest, Michelle rode past Natalie with Paige following closely behind.
Following her one-hour rest, she wrapped up the final miles on the Womble before turning directly onto the Ouachita Trail (OT). The OT was easily the most-discussed stretch of riding at this year’s finish line, often referenced in a negative light for its rugged nature and status as a thru-hiking trail. All things considered, this stretch of the Ouachita Trail continues to earn its IMBA “Epic Trail” rating, and Natalie was one of the few riders who shared their appreciation for it at the finish. She welcomed the inevitably high volume of hike-a-bike as opportunities to stretch out her legs, get off the saddle, and shake out her arms in a way that riding for 48 hours straight doesn’t allow. Stacking the 35 miles of singletrack from the Womble with this 40-mile stretch of riding on the OT didn’t come without its challenges. Natalie found herself still grappling with her “why” as the sun rose on the second morning. It was the first big eastbound ripper of a descent that eventually filled her cup enough to settle back into the groove and continue pushing east above Lake Ouachita.
Out of water for nearly three hours later that afternoon, the long approach up to the Ouachita Pinnacle high point was Natalie’s next hurdle, 204 miles into the race. “Dehydrated beyond the point of being able to cry,” read a text Natalie got from Michelle. She was withdrawing from the race due to malfunctioning drivetrain batteries. Relieved, she let off the gas a little, descending off the Pinnacle to a known water source in front of Big Bear Shelter. After filling up on water and enjoying a short swim and cool down in the natural pool, it was all systems go for the final 100 or so miles to the finish.
A 30-minute sleep at 10 p.m. the second night and one final 10-minute nap around 4:30 a.m. the final morning kept her assertive enough to cruise through the gravel and forest roads before knocking out the final stretch of singletrack in the Northwoods of Hot Springs. That’s a cumulative sleep time of 1 hour and 40 minutes throughout her 52-hour effort. Natalie’s official finish time was 2 days, 4 hours, and 26 minutes.
For the second year in a row, Natalie rode her custom Slow Southern Steel Warhorn hardtail. Rolling on 29 x 2.4 Continental Dubnital tires, the build featured her trusty Shimano XT mechanical groupset, XT brakes, and SSS titanium handlebars. Using a Coros Dura for navigation, she rocked a custom set of luggage from South City Stitchworks—a proven setup for rugged and remote riding. Congrats, Natalie!
Check out the DOOM Tracker page for all of our coverage from the 2026 DOOM event, including updates, winners’ posts, and more. Find it here.
Further Reading
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