An extremely popular event that attracts thousands of off-road enthusiasts, the 39th edition of the Chequamegon MTB Festival takes place in the big woods of northwestern Wisconsin. The event is produced by Life Time Events and is part of the just announced Life Time Grand Prix Series. This revered off-road experience doesn’t end with the races. Friends and family gather for a weekend of live music, craft beer, and savory food truck eats. This year’s event features a restructured course, a pro-style start, and a little-loggers race.
From elite athletes to aspiring young off-roaders, Chequamegon races for everyone. The headliner event, Chequamegon 40, travels from downtown Hayward, WI traversing the famed American Birkebeiner Ski Trail, forest roads, and snowmobile routes, finishing at the Great Hall in Cable, WI. This 40-mile race comes with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
For a less intensive option, or if you want to participate in two events, there is a “Short and Fat” 16-mile option with all the same challenges of the 40 jam-packed into a slightly short bite. And for the little tikes, there is a Little Logger race (15-minute continuous loop) for the next-generation MTB enthusiasts.
The Chequamegon’s remote and rural woods offer endless biking, hiking, and exploration opportunities. The region has its own Mountain Bike Association, CAMBA, which has marked, mapped, and maintained over 300 miles of off-road trails. The remote and rural area provides plenty to do and see, with art festivals, waterfall tours, walks in the woods, and special events of all varieties.
Chequamegon MTB Festival will be part of the inaugural Life Time Grand Prix! The series feature 6 of the most iconic cycling events and the best cyclists in off-road cycling. The challenge combines mountain biking and gravel riding disciplines. The events are all around the country, including the Sea Otter Classic, UNBOUND Gravel, Crusher in the Tushar, Leadville Trail 100 MTB, and Big Sugar Gravel. The biggest prize purse in U.S. cycling, $250,000, will be split evenly between men and women. Each series event will be streamed live and on-demand on FloBikes, part of the FloSports network.
