Russell Thiessen rides the entire BC Bike race in under 24 hours

It usually takes seven days to complete the BC Bike Race. Not for Russell Thiessen. The Winkler, Manitoba-based rider decided to knock off the entire thing in less than 24 hours—234 kilometres of riding and 7,013 metres of climbing.

Why? Because he’s moving home to Manitoba, and this was his version of a West Coast send-off.

All gas, no sleep

The challenge began on Vancouver Island, rolling out at sunrise to tackle the first two stages in the Cowichan Valley. Riding without course markings, Thiessen navigated the climbs and descents of Maple Mountain and Mt. Tzouhalem, trying to stay on pace and avoid costly detours.

He wasn’t alone. Friends tagged in to ride alongside him.  Transition times were supposed to be zero. They weren’t. At one point, four minutes went missing to load Trailforks. “If he keeps this up every stage, that’s half an hour,” a voiceover warns in the video by NOBL Wheels.

By Nanaimo, the sun was high and Thiessen was cooked. “That one hurt,” he admitted. But pizza pops and a second wind carried him to Cumberland, his old stomping ground. There, he tore through the Queen stage—over 1,700 metres of climbing—before heading to Campbell River, then back to Cumberland for one final lap.

The biggest ride of the decade

At 12:30 a.m., nearly 20 hours after starting, Thiessen crested his final climb. “I’m done,” he said, collapsing into a camp chair. “That’s probably my biggest ride of the year. Of the decade, I think.”

Normally, the BC Bike Race is a test of endurance spread over a week. Riders recover, refuel and sleep. Thiessen did none of that. He just pedalled through it.

Meanwhile, this year’s official BCBR champions were taking the scenic route. Sean Fincham took the men’s title in 10:01:10, while Sandra Walter led the women with a time of 12:25:45.

But none of them did it all in one day. That honour goes to one determined Manitoban on a farewell ride he—and we—won’t forget anytime soon.

So… why?

“I didn’t know if you were going to make it either,” someone tells him at the end. “But you did.”
So why attempt something so absurd? “Maybe it’s because when you’re about to leave BC’s loamy gold and head back to the prairies, you want to go out with a bang.