DOOM: The Documentary (Video)

Following the 2025 edition of the race, DOOM: The Documentary gives viewers an inside look at one of the most grueling bikepacking events in the United States, how it came to be, and some of the key participants and finishers. Produced by Fancy Pigeon Media, this documentary features on-the-ground footage of conditions in northwest Arkansas, along with in-depth interviews with the subjects. Check out the full video below, followed by a few words from its creators.

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Speaking to his experience creating the film, director John Matthews said, “DOOM: The Documentary is an exploration of the personal journeys that riders embark on when tackling a 400-mile bike packing race. I don’t have much of a background as a bikepacker. I come from the world of one-day gravel racing, where I experience it both as a participant and as a video creator. Doom was never on my radar as a participant. Too scary… Even so, I wanted to be involved in the event. My professional background is in documentary storytelling, so naturally, this was the approach that I wanted to take. Some documentaries rely on hours of interviews to drive the narrative or historical footage to tell a story of the past. For this project, we simply shot what happened with an emphasis on not affecting the racer’s experience. We wanted to honor the ethos of bikepacking and have as little of an impact on the event as possible.”

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He goes on to say, “What became was the story of 6 racers accomplishing the 2025 edition of Doom. I could have never foreseen how special this project would become and how impactful each of the sixes stories became. Most importantly, Andrew’s heart and dedication made for a poignant telling of a rare thing: grassroots community. This wouldn’t have been made possible without the buy-in from Andrew and all of the athletes who participated. I can’t thank them enough.”

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Danny Luska, who helped create the documentary, also said, “I have a million memories from the few days we spent shooting Doom. I’m hopeful that the documentary leaves viewers with the same feeling I had after we wrapped: this is an amazing community, and the journey they set out on is as masochistic as it is inspiring. I’m also hopeful that we did them proud, because they welcomed us with open arms on this journey of a lifetime.”

For more on DOOM, visit OzarkGravelCyclists.com.

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