Ted King: Arkansas High Country FKT
Ted King moved to Arkansas a few months ago, and he has used the opportunity to race in this year’s Arkansas High Country Race. He won the 1,024-mile (1,648-km) Full Loop in convincing fashion, setting a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) in the process—all while sleeping every night and enjoying the cultural highlights of the course. For example, at the Rich Mountain Store, he ate not just one, but two of Steve’s famous pancakes, before heading into the 140-mile stretch over Poteau Mountain, Petit Jean Blue Mountain and Mount Magazine. Here is Ted’s story:
I reclaimed the crown of the Arkansas High Country! All the more fitting that I was able to catch a ride with my family for the two miles home afterwards—and sleep in my own bed, having lived in Bentonville for two months now. After 1,024 grueling miles, I left it all out there and wasn’t going to pedal the final stretch home.
ARHC is the first bikepacking race I ever experienced, back in 2020. Back then, the race was in its second year, and I rode the 1,000-mile distance in 4 days 20 hours, which was the FKT back then. Over the years, that time has been bettered again and again and again. Most recently, last year, the bikepacking human wrecking ball of records, Justinas Leveika, went a smashing 4 days 09 hours 25 minutes.
I go into ultras with a loose plan, but never want to set anything in stone, so that, if I don’t achieve a daily distance, for example, it doesn’t start messing with my head. Describing the ARHC course as hilly is an understatement. There are brief flat sections at the start, finish, and smack in the middle, but overall the entire course is punishingly unrelenting. To stay on record-setting pace, my plan was always to ride consistently, rather than putting in an enormous day, and then having to dig myself out of a hole.
I know myself well enough to know that I need proper sleep to perform. Therefore my strategy was to ride far, fast, and consistently, then maximize sleep. Day-by-day, that played out as follows: I rode 210 miles (338 km) on Day One, 215 miles on Day Two, 200 miles on Day Three, each followed by six hours total of sleep at night. Then on Day Four I rode 208 miles, slept maybe 75 minutes, before putting in my final 191-mile push to the finish. That allowed me to cross the line with a time of 4 days, 8 hours, 58 minutes—the new FKT.
Comparing 2020 with 2026, gravel technology has improved. I rode a Cannondale Topstone this year, which offers 1 inch (25 mm) of travel up front and the Kingpin ‘suspension’ smooths out the ride in the back, as opposed to my fully rigid bike back in 2020. This year, I chose 48 mm Poteau Mountain tires in the Endurance Plus casing, which inflate to 50 mm wide on my XPLR rims, compared to 44 mm Snoqualmie Pass tires six years ago. Six millimeters in extra width may not sound like a lot, but it means 29% more air volume. And I appreciated that extra air—and the suspension.
This summer has been cripplingly dry in Arkansas, so the course is especially rocky, rutted, and rough. During the race, I was often thinking: “How on earth did I do this route on ‘only’ 44s last time?!” This year, I had a 40-tooth chainring and 10-52 cassette; I forget my exact gearing six years ago, but my smallest gear was considerably larger. I also used aerobars this time around. Between all these factors, I estimate that I saved 2-3 hours with improved equipment alone: climbing faster, descending more confidently, and riding stuff that I previously was forced to walk. [Editor’s note: Ted’s time was 11 hours faster this year, so it’s not just the equipment that was faster…]
It was a great ride… and, right now, I’m very happy to have finished. After 13 hours (!) of sleep—trying to make a dent in the sleep deprivation that occurred over the long weekend—it was time to make the kids’ breakfast and lunch, then take them to school. Time waits for no one!
All in all, I call it a great trip around Northwest Arkansas.
Further Reading:
- Joe Fox story of winning the Single-Speed category on the Northwest Loop
- Report on Ted’s ride on bikepacking.com
Photos: Kai Caddy
