For around 450 cyclists, the upcoming hours will be filled with anticipation: tonight at exactly 8:00 PM CEST, they will kick off the Transcontinental Race. This twelfth edition of the infamous self-supported ultra-endurance cycling race stretches from Trondheim in Norway to Kalamata in Greece, covering its traditional distance of approximately 4,000 kilometers. For the participants, this represents one of the toughest – if not the toughest – bike races in the world. Meanwhile, for tens of thousands of fans online, it marks the return of about two weeks of ‘dot-watching’ via the event’s live tracking website.
The Transcontinental Race is taking place for the twelfth time this year. While the route changes annually, it always spans around 4,000 kilometers and features tens of thousands of meters of elevation gain. With a designated starting point and finish line – Trondheim and Kalamata this year – participants must plan their own routes, though they are required to pass through a series of mandatory checkpoints. This year’s checkpoints are located in Flåm (Norway), the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia), Sarajevo (Bosnia), and Leskovik (Albania). While the fastest riders will complete the journey in just a few days on minimal sleep, a significant number of participants drop out every year.
The Transcontinental Race is entirely self-supported and widely regarded as perhaps the most grueling cycling challenge in the world. Participants decide for themselves how much they sleep and rest, but the clock never stops ticking. Ultimately, riders have about two weeks to reach the finish line. If a participant misses the cut-off time, the organization is unforgiving, and a DNF is recorded next to their name.
More information, the route, and live tracking can be found via this link.
