This route has seen several renditions over the years, mostly due to rerouting sections to get permits through the forest service (landslides, connectors that don’t exist on their maps, etc.). Hell, sometimes we just want to shake it up and incorporate other rad sections of the Ozarks. However, it has remained incredibly wild, challenging, and remote - staying around the 400ish mile distance. A blend of mountain/gravel bike terrain with hills ready to tear your equipment and mind apart.

Person standing with loaded touring bike at gas station at night

The History of Doomers.

It all started with a legendary rider ready for a vision quest to kick off the 2022 year. First to ever complete the route in a self-supported style.

Brett Stepanik: 3d 12h 9m - Jan. 3rd, 2022

Bikes or Death Podcast:

https://bikesordeath.com/ep-brett-stepanik-ozark-gravel-doom-fkt/

Bikepacking.com:

https://bikepacking.com/news/brett-stepanik-ozark-gravel-doom-record/

Kai Caddy Photo Gallery:

https://kaicaddy.passgallery.com/-brettstepanikgraveldoomitt/gallery

The St. Joseph duo

Madison Davis & Christopher Farney:

3d 14h - March 24, 2022

Two cyclists riding on a dirt path beside a large rock formation and bare trees in a forested area.
Two cyclists with bikes outside a sticker-covered store wall, a neon 'Closed' sign visible, nighttime setting.
Cyclist on gravel road with trees and landscape background.
Person washing face at outdoor water spigot

The first woman.

Cyclist in helmet and sunglasses riding a bike on a sunny day
Person taking a selfie surprised by someone in a ghost mask

Grand Depart

Friday the 13th,2022

Zeno Molteni: 47h 19m

Jacob Loos (singlespeed): 2d 11h 18m

Dylan Morton: 2d 13h 13m

Nate Griffee: 2d 14h 38m

Kyle Gilbert: 2d 16h 6m

Robert Orr: 2d 23h 46m

Nick Booth: 3d 30m

Damian Wallner: 3d 12h 5m

Neal Okerbloom: 3d 12 5m

Ryan Bruce: 3d 20h 10m

Randy Windle - Kai Caddy photo

Randy Windle: 3d 7h 44m - September 16th, 2022

Person with a bicycle in front of Oark Cafe, an historic general store, with a prominent sign overhead and a rustic building in the background.

Redemption. A return from Canada.

Taryn Davis: 4d 1h 31m - October 31st, 2022

The Gravel Groove Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gravel-groove-podcast/id1598824875

Pedal Poetry:

https://www.pedalpoetry.com/post/doom-in-full-colour

Doom 2023 Grand Depart. April 8th

Cyclists gathered at Oark Cafe, Arkansas; bikes on ground, people mingling; sign says 'Self Service No Smoking.'
Cyclists on a rural road, one wearing a Halloween mask with bunny ears, near Ozark Cafe, surrounded by trees and buildings.

Jeff Kerkove - 42h 23m

Edward Rogers - 2d 56m

Jocelyn De La Rosa - 2d 1h 39m

Jacob Loos - 2d 4h 27m (singlespeed)

Joe “Lefty” Miller - 2d 5h 47m

Joe Fox - 2d 5h 48m

Nate Griffee - 2d 6h 48m

Bryon Doughtery - 2d 10h 5m

Eric House - 2d 11h 10m

Jesse Smith - 2d 11h 46m

Nicholas Elliot - 2d 13h 5m

Christopher Farney - 2d 13h 25m

Seth Wood - 2d 13h 33m (singlespeed)

Travis Jolly - 2d 14h 6m (singlespeed)

Gehrig Haberstock - 2d 15h 27m

Ben Oney - 2d 15h 27m

Dylan Parrish - 2d 18h 25m

Zachary McCool - 2d 18h 44m

Calvin Burgstahler - 2d 23h

Maggie Livelsberger - 3d 4h 3m

(singlespeed)

Ryan Bruce - 3d 4h 3m

Lindsay Shepard - 3d 9h 3 (singlespeed)

AND…. Turned around and YO-YO’D!

David Quinn - 3d 13h 24m

Alex Stephan - 3d 15h 22m

Chadwick Morris - 3d 18h 18m

Moez Bhatti - 3d 18h 20m

Race Heitkamp - 4d 2h 25m

Garrett Lampson - 4d 8h 53m

Cyclists ride on a gravel road accompanied by a dog and people on an ATV, with spectators watching, in a forest area with dust in the air.
People at a buffet with wood panel walls and decorative items
Person in raincoat with bike near a misty river.

Andrew Onermaa, Race Director, finally gives the route a self-supported go after a sleepless 2023 Grand Depart. Gets to see Lindsay on course during her Yo-Yo return!

Blows up trying to chase Kerkove’s 2023 event time. Sleeps in a post office for long time. Gets hailed on next day and drinks a beer and sleeps at TAT shack. Finishes somewhere under 3 Days (it’s a blur).

Madison Davis and Joe Fox: “2d 19h ish” - May 2023

Friends come back shortly after the Grand Depart to become Double Doomers!

Two men in conversation, one wearing glasses and a hood, in an indoor setting with blurred background.
Two cyclists pushing their bikes uphill on a dirt trail in a forested area.

Andrew tours the new 2024 route via singlespeed over 4 days and three nights.

January 29th, 2024.

Bicycle lying on a gravel road at sunset
Person cycling on a dirt trail in a forest, wearing a helmet and sunglasses, with tattoos on their arm, on a sunny day.

Introduction of Despair

Rumbles of the Doom event has spread far and wide at this point; in 2024 we included a “half-distance” option - Despair. This route proves to be equally rowdy and incorporates all the same singletrack rolled out in 2024 for Doom. This option mimics something along the lines of the Vapor Trail 125 in CO with some neutral aid and more of a “weekend warrior” mentality. An epic challenge for all, and very much so a race at the pointy end. Allowed many to dip their toes into the ultra-distance world and backcountry event environment!

Handwritten sheet and poster for "Doom & Despair" event on 3.29.2024 featuring cyclists' names and times on a clipboard, with a graphic of a cycling event on poster.

GRAND DEPART 2024

TWO RACE OPTIONS, ONE EVENT

Doom

Dexter Kopas - 45H 42M

Bryan Doughterty - 2D 3H 36M

Meaghan Hackinen - 2D 4H 15M

Edward Rogers - 2D 4H 28M

Miles Payton - 2D 6H 26M

Corey (Hardcore) Kronser (SS) - 2D 6H 58M

Kuya Takami - 2D 8H 28M

Chris Joice (SS) - 2D 9H 32M

Walker Jones - 2D 9H 56M

Nate Griffee (SS) - 2D 10H 17M

Hannah Simon - 2D 10H 21M

Alex Kowalski (SS) - 2D 10H 40M

Jacob Loos (SS) - 2D 11H 11M

Nick Elliot - 2D 10H 30M

Jeff Terebey - 2D 16H 28M

Chris Farney - 2D 16H 45M

Travis Jolly (SS) - 2D 19H 26M

Adam Scro - 2D 19H 26M

Zeno Molteni - 2D 20H 40M

Jack Peck - 2D 20H 53M

Preston Williams - 2D 23H 10M

Seth Wood (SS) - 3D 34M

Tanner Frady (SS) - 3D 34M

Kat Dale - 3D 5H 3M

Jonathan Harbin - 3D 8H 30M

Eli Steiger - 3D 9H 56M

Stephanie Hall - 3D 9H 56M

Brenden Lingg - 3D 10H 18M

Dave Easley (SS) - 3D 10H 42M

David Quinn - 3D 11H 28M

Glyn Hanmer - 3D 12H 10M

Dustin Marsh - 3D 13H 29M

Joe Beals - 3D 13H 44M

Matt Dohn - 3D 15H 6M

Jamie Wilger - 4D 7H 36M

Kendall Park - 6D 11H 57M

Despair

Jesse Smith - 20H 12M

Carter Persyn - 21H 53M

John Hoffmann - 23H 55M

Craig Schucart - 24H 13M

Josh Kile - 26H 8M

Jason Rowland - 26H 54M

Natalie Peet - 28H 55M

Josh Deen - 29H 32M

Ryan Bruce - 30H 5M

Kyle Gilbert (SS) - 30H 17M

Ian Bolton - 30H 37M

Jonathan Vota - 31H 23M

Dylan Parrish - 31H 27M

Mike Jackson - 31H 29M

Zach Smith - 32H

Randy Windle (SS) - 32H

Ryan Gebhardt - 35H 22M

Alex Laitamaki - 35H 22M

Austin Harrill - 41H 12M

Laura Shields - 41H 32M

Bradley Gilmore - 41H 52M

Yevgeny Karpekin - 2D 5H 30M

Andrew Ironside - 2D 6H 9M

Jordan Rayboy - 2D 6H 27M

Katherine Anderson - 2D 6H 28M

Darrell Pennington - 2D 6H 50M

Myles Hartman - 2D 6H 51M

Emily Miller - 2D 6H 57M

Mark McGraw - 2D 7H 3M

Brian Potter - 2D 7H 21M

Peter Kane - 2D 9H 48M

Elliot Moravec - 2D 9H 48M

Josh Duffus - 2D 10H 10M

Jenn Swartout - 2D 10H 11M

Jannine Fitzgerald - 2D 10H 11M

Diana Gibson - 2D 10H 11M

Charles Fox - 2D 15H 57M