Meaghan Wins Silk Road Mountain Race
A huge congrats to Meaghan Hackinen, first woman across the line in the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race, and 10th overall in a field stacked with the world’s fastest ultra racers. The Silk Road is arguably the hardest of the three ‘Mountain’ races, traversing the Himalayas of Kyrgyzstan on a challenging 1,954-kilometer (1,214-mile) course, climbing 28,000 meters (91,864 feet) in the process.
Just as impressive as Meaghan’s speed has been her positive attitude—full of wonder and appreciation of the incredible landscapes she’s been cycling through. Not that the race has been easy for her. From the many waist-deep river crossings to the endless climbs, the Silk Road is known to be a challenge even for the strongest riders. Meaghan spent 9 day, 4 hours and 6 minutes on the ‘road’—an amazing feat of endurance.
Meghan actually didn’t set out to win the Silk Road—her goal was to be the first woman ever to complete all three ‘Mountain Races’ in a single year. Not only did she do that, but she now also holds the second-fastest cumulative time overall. That’s remarkable consistency!
Meaghan rode a Salsa Cutthroat with Rene Herse 29″ x 2.2″ Fleecer Ridge Endurance tires. She reported from the finish line: “3000 km on my Fleecer Ridge tires in Kyrgyzstan and no issues! Just added some air for the 200 km paved sections and removed it after — that’s it! That includes 1000 km from pre-race touring. I was actually thinking in reflection that I should have replaced some components before the race—since touring was tough on the bike—but, other than brake pads, I didn’t bring any spares to swap before the race kicked off.”
With Meaghan’s latest success, our tires have won 7 out of all 15 ‘Mountain Races’ ever held: 4 Silk Roads (Sofiane Sehili 2021, 2022, 2023; Meaghan 2025), 2 Hellenics (Adrien Liechti 2023; Meaghan 2025) and the Atlas (Marei Moldenhauer, 2025). Considering how many tire brands are out there, winning almost a quarter of all the hardest races is a nice confirmation that Rene Herse tires combine speed with durability. (There are women’s and men’s categories and 30 possible wins.) It’s especially gratifying since none of these riders have sponsorship contracts that require them to use our tires. They probably could get paid to ride other tires, but they choose Rene Herse. (Disclosure: We provide them with free tires and occasionally contribute a bit to their travel expenses.)
Let’s celebrate Meaghan’s incredible ride. To keep focused and riding non-stop for over nine days, never letting up, is just incredible. We can’t wait to hear more of Meaghan’s stories once she’s got some rest. And good luck to all the other racers who are still on the course. Someday, I dream of joining them!
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