Hot Springs, Florida – At the Gudrun Mountain Bike Festival in Hot Springs, a man from Arkansas won a 178-mile race.
The Ouachita Triple Crown endurance race, which took place from November 8–10, was won by Walker Jones of Bentonville.
As the race came to a finish, Jones reportedly stated, “I’m delirious and I want a burrito,” according to event officials.
Hot Springs National Park officials said that Jones completed the race in the midst of inclement circumstances over the course of the event weekend.
According to Visit Hot Springs Marketing Director Bill Solleder, “Walker Jones left the starting point from the Northwoods/Gudrun trails at noon on Friday, November 8.” He completed the race in 29 hours and 28 minutes, riding through the night in a constant downpour.
Jones’ strength was praised by Solleder, who also mentioned that the Ouachita Triple Crown boasts some of the nation’s most difficult bike routes.
Only two bikers out of the 20 registered competitors completed the race, according to officials at Hot Springs National Park. Twelve states were represented in this year’s competition, officials added.
According to Visit Hot Springs Trails Coordinator Traci Berry, “we had a total registration of 650 this year, just a little bit shy of our record of 702 in 2021.” “We had a record 253 participants in the Attila the Hun Cross Country Race, 20 in the Ouachita Triple Crown — but only two made it through that difficult event, and 377 in our Enduro races.”
According to officials, the Gudrun Mountain Bike Festival is anticipated to return on November 7–9, 2025.
