Wichita Falls, Texas has been confirmed as home to America’s finest road cycling event after USA Today named the Hotter’N Hell Hundred the 2026 Best Road Cycling Event — a title the ride also claimed the previous year.
The event has deep roots, having launched in 1982 to mark the city’s centennial, with riders taking on 100 miles in 100-degree heat to celebrate 100 years — a triple coincidence that gave the event its unforgettable name. The concept came from Roby Christie, the town’s postmaster and a founding member of the local cycling club, who argued that a rocking-chair marathon failed to capture the pioneer spirit of the region. A 100-mile bicycle ride in brutal summer heat, he proposed, was far more fitting.
More than four decades on, the Hotter’N Hell Hundred has grown into the largest sanctioned amateur ride in the country, drawing participants from almost all of the 50 states and numerous foreign countries, with over 350,000 riders having taken part since its inception.
The 2026 edition takes place on Saturday 29 August, starting from downtown Wichita Falls, with the main 100-mile endurance ride launched by the national anthem, an Air Force flyover, and a military cannon blast.
For a cycling event born from civic pride in a city better known for its punishing summers than its pelotons, the USA Today accolade confirms what riders across North America have long understood — Wichita Falls delivers something truly special on two wheels. Crucially, this is not an honour handed down by an editorial board or shaped by advertising relationships. USA Today’s Best Road Cycling Events are decided entirely by public vote, meaning the Hotter’N Hell Hundred earned its crown the old-fashioned way — from the cyclists themselves.
Photo Credit: HHH
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