On Sunday, Canada’s Meaghan Hackinen won the 2024 Tour Divide in the women’s category and also became the first woman to complete it in under 16 days. It took her 15 days, 23 hours.
The Tour Divide is a grueling ultra-endurance mountain bike race spanning 4,345 km along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Alta., to Antelope Wells, N.M. Cyclists race unsupported, navigating rugged terrain and relying solely on themselves for food, shelter, and navigation amidst challenging conditions and remote wilderness.
Hackinen also had the second fastest-ever women’s time in history. She finished 7th overall.
The ultra-endurance cyclist is also an author. She’s written South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels and Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race. Among some of her adventures, she’s ridden Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s plateaus, across Canada, the United States, and Europe’s toughest climbs from North Cape to Tarifa.
Hackinen is a 5-time Everester and has done races including the Trans Am Bike Race, NorthCape4000, Transcontinental Race, and Paris-Brest-Paris. She holds multiple women’s course records, including at the BC Epic 1000, Big Lonely, and the world 24 hour time trial championships.
In a post on Instagram, the incredible accomplishment was celebrated. “Meg’s ride is historic – she now holds the fastest women’s time set on a grand depart (Lael Wilcox still holds the overall record), finishing under 16 days, with a time of 15 days and 23 hours. She also finished 7th place overall.”
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