The 2026 Horribly Hilly Hundreds is in the books! We had a great turnout this year, with riders representing 27 states and four countries.
As always, last-minute road construction required a course update to our 200K route. Fortunately, the reroute allowed us to sneak in a couple hundred extra feet of climbing, adding even more to the “Horrible” aspect of the ride.
New for 2026 was the Master the Mound race, a timed climb up the day’s final ascent on Mounds Park Road to the top of Blue Mound State Park and the finish line. The final climb is the longest of the day by both distance and elevation gain, measuring approximately 3.1 miles with more than 900 feet of climbing.
A huge shout-out goes to our more than 100 volunteers who helped make the 2026 event a success. That includes the incredible crews at the aid stations: Vermont Lutheran Church (Vermont Church), St. John the Baptist (NoWhere Vans), Birch Lake (Bombay BCETS), and Black Earth (Friends of Military Ridge); our finish-line food and support teams from the Mount Horeb Lions Club and the Boy Scouts; and the many other individuals who pitched in, from bib pickup to closing everything down late Saturday night.
Reflecting on this year’s event, someone asked what my most memorable moment was. I had to say it was receiving a post-ride email from someone complaining that the total elevation gain was higher than advertised. I couldn’t help but laugh, because that’s the whole point—to pack as much climbing as possible into every mile of the ride. And if you ended up with a little extra… well, you’re welcome for the suffering!
Greg Wiengand
President, Friends of Blue Mound State Park
