Riders from 19 states and three countries left the starting line early Saturday in downtown Hot Springs to start the 1,000-mile Arkansas High Country race.
The course will take them through some of the most challenging mountainous terrain in the state, according to Visit Hot Springs. Hot Springs is hosting the event for the second year in a row.
The documentary "Relentless Ride," which highlights several participants in the Arkansas High Country Race that started Saturday morning, was screened during Opening Night ceremonies for the 32nd Annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival on Friday.
Twenty-four riders were registered for the Arkansas High Country 1,000-plus-mile full loop. Twenty-three had registered for the 487-mile south loop and 20 registered for the 185-mile Ouachita Triple Crown loop.
The fastest known time for the full 1,000-mile route is held by Ernie Lechuga, who finished in 4 days, 14 hours, 13 minutes in 2022, Visit Hot Springs said in a news release.
"The Arkansas High Country Route was developed by Arkansas' own Chuck Campbell in partnership with Adventure Cycling," the release said.
The full ARHC route covers over 1,000 miles of Arkansas terrain and is made up of pavement and gravel roads with single-track options which include two IMBA Epic Trails, the Womble and Lake Ouachita Vista Trail, or LOViT.
"It takes riders through the beautiful scenery of the Ouachita Mountains, Ozark Plateaus, Arkansas River Valley. The full route can be broken down into three separate, shorter loops: the southern, central and northern ARHC loops," the release said.