2026 Pinyons and Pines

Latest Updates

• 8 days ago
  3

  Imposter Syndrome at the 2026 Pinyons and Pines

  by Guest
• 28 days ago

  Day 4 Scratch Report

  by Miles Arbour

  Now that the 2026 Pinyons and Pines is entering its fourth day, there are only nine riders left out on course. Out of nearly 70 riders at the grand depart, 34 have finished, and a whopping 26 have scratched from the event.

  In Wyatt’s first event update, he noted that this year’s route might be the hardest to date, featuring plenty of technical singletrack, chunky jeep roads, and loads of climbing. The reasons for calling it quits vary among riders, but we’ve seen everything from minor injuries to major mechanicals to just folks being done with it. Congrats to everyone who lined up last week for the grand depart!
• 28 days ago
  2

  Gwen Cameron Is First Woman to Finish 2026 Pinyons and Pines Race

  by Guest
• 29 days ago

  A Mini Recap from 17-Year-Old Cruz Blue

  by Cruz Blue

  Editor’s Note: Pinyons and Pines organizer, Dana Ernst, sent over some photos of 17-year-old Cruz Blue’s finish and convinced Cruz to send over a post-race recap. Cruz’s unofficial finish time was 3 days, 5 hours, 19 minutes.

  Writing a recap within hours of completing the 2026 version of Pinyons and Pines may not be the smartest thing for me to do. I feel like I have Socratic wisdom to bestow on the masses, but it is more likely a sleep-deprived-brain-fog, which, upon tomorrow’s reading, will reveal itself as a vomit of words. I am asking for grace and understanding as I am writing to a group that already knows what I want to say. This year’s adventure was a terrifying beast.

  

  Often, well-intentioned outsiders ask, “Why do this?” I struggle with this question. I’m learning that for an oft-solo hobby of bikepacking, one of the gems of doing a grand depart with 70 other riders is not having to answer that question, because each of the other riders is experiencing the “why.” So when David Keller came upon me lying on the ground, dejected and downtrodden, with a thousand-yard stare, he didn’t need to ask what was wrong. He was experiencing it too. He simply nodded his head and let me join him. When Quinn Travis and I met at mile 125 with strong desires to quit, we knew we would need each other to finish this “solo” adventure together. We ended up riding the next 300 miles together, sharing a lifetime of experience in a few very long days. Thanks, guys, for helping me do this.

  

  So what was my experience? It was hard, wonderful, hot, daunting, beautiful, and maybe someday I will say glorious (but I’m not ready to say that yet). I don’t, however, need to explain this to you because you already know. I need to sleep now.
• 30 days ago
  2

  Timon Fish Wins 2026 Pinyons and Pines Race + Podium Update

  by Guest
• 30 days ago
  2

  2026 Pinyons and Pines: The Most Demanding Edition Yet

  by Guest
• 31 days ago

  Day Two Update...

  by Miles Arbour

  Perhaps it’s the lovely weather or primo conditions, but the riders of this year’s Pinyons and Pines race are blazing through the course. The fastest riders, which include Rocky Gingg, Jeff Kerkove, and Timon Fish, have already passed the halfway mark as they climb around the east side of Prescott towards Mt. Union, a mandatory summit on this year’s route.

  Sarah Didier is currently in first place for the women’s race, sitting at around mile 153. Of course, there’s still a long way to go, and anything can happen out there. We’ve already seen reports of massive sidewall tears and tweaked body parts, resulting in 11 scratches. There are 59 active riders, according to Trackleaders.

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• 32 days ago

  And They're Off!

  by Miles Arbour

  The 2026 Pinyons and Pines is officially underway, with about 70 riders registered and tracking. It’s currently a crisp 54°F (12°C) in Flagstaff, and temperatures look consistent through the weekend.

  

  Chase Kaufman is currently leading the front pack, just over 15 miles into the 413-mile route. Chase took second place at last year’s Arizona Trail Race 300, just a few hours behind Miron Golfman’s winning ride. 17-year-old Cruz Blue is currently in eighth place overall, which is awesome to see. You can watch a video from this morning’s grand depart here. Stay tuned for more.
• 33 days ago
  18

  Rigs of the 2026 Pinyons and Pines

  by Miles Arbour
• 34 days ago

  Pinyons & Pines 2026 Course Preview

  by Miles Arbour

  The Endurance Studio sat down with the Pinyons and Pines event organizer, Dana Ernst, to break down everything you need to know about the 2026 Pinyons and Pines “race-not-race” in Northern Arizona. If you’re not familiar with the route or are thinking about riding it someday, it’s definitely worth a watch.