College Student Crushes 14,000-Mile Pan-American Highway Bike Race Record

Dartmouth College junior, Bond Almand, cycled from Alaska to Argentina and shattered the Pan-American Highway Bike Race record.

Bond Almand - Pan-American Highway / Courtesy of Bond Almand

The Pan-American Highway

The Pan-American Bike Race, a grueling, ultra-distance cycling challenge, traverses a network of roads covering approximately 14,000 miles. The unique race spans the length of the Americas from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in the Arctic Circle in North America to the southern tip of South America in Ushuaia, Argentina. The route crosses a diverse array of landscapes, including icy tundras, expansive deserts, dense rainforests, and towering mountain ranges.

Unlike traditional races, the Pan-American Bike Race requires self-support, meaning riders must plan and carry their own gear, manage food and water, and navigate independently. Participants face extreme weather conditions, ranging from freezing cold in Alaska to sweltering heat in Central and South America. Along the way, they must tackle logistical challenges, including border crossings, mechanical breakdowns, and finding safe places to rest. The race attracts a unique blend of elite endurance athletes and adventure enthusiasts, all driven by the desire to conquer one of the world's longest and most demanding bike routes.

Pan-American Highway World Record

Betsy Welch reported for Velo, Powered by Outside, that Bond Almand departed Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on August 31 and reached Ushuaia, Argentina on November 15, smashing the standing world record by approximately nine days. His time of 75 days, 17 hours and 55 minutes made 20-year old Almand the fastest cyclist to ever ride the Pan-American Highway.

Almand awaits the Guiness World Records to validate his historic ride that eclipsed the previous mark set in 2018 by Austrian Michael Strasser on a fully supported ride. Almand’s self-supported ride also beats Leandro Carlos da Silva’s self-supported effort by approximately 19 days.

Bond Almand Start in Alaska / Courtesy of Bond Almand

Almand, currently a junior at Dartmouth College, rode through Alaska, Canada, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama before hopping a flight to Colombia.

Upon landing in South America, Almand cycled the Pacific coast through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, before moving inland to ride to make the final push to Argentina.  Almand discussed the route and certain interpretations.

“The only parameters are that the route starts in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska — sometimes called Deadhorse — and finishes in Ushuaia, Argentina. One must fly over the Darien Gap, so the route requires a flight from Panama City to Cartagena, Colombia. Since this flight goes northeast, it actually makes the route longer than it would be if there were a road to bike between Panama and Colombia. Besides the flight and starting and ending points, it’s a total choose your own adventure route, which is part of what makes it so cool. I was constantly rerouting as I went, making day by day calls based on winds and other conditions,” Bond said.

Almand averaged 179 miles per day in the face of horrendous headwinds which burdened his speed and dampened his spirits. Beyond significant weather challenges and extremely dangerous roads, Bond also encountered bike problems. On Day-35 he met a pothole that cracked the frame of his bike.

Without the graciousness of a man named Lenar, a mechanic at Bicimania in Managua, who sold Almand his personal Giant bike, the speed record attempt would have derailed. But Bond Almand made it, and set a world record. Following a rest at home in Tennessee, Almand will return to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and continue his studies in government and climate policy. Congratulations to Bond Almand, and all the best with school and the next ride. Related Article

Bond Almand gets a new bike / Courtesy of Bond Almand

Bond Almand’s Ride: Selected Statistics (Velo Powered by Outside)

Total miles ridden: 13,595 miles
Total elevation gain: 541,735 feet
Daily average ridden: 179.5 miles per day
Total hours of ride time: ~840 hours
Total time: 75d, 17hr, 55 min
Average moving speed: ~16.2 mph
Past supported record: 84 days, 11 hours and 50 minutes
Past self-supported record: 95 days
Number of bicycle frames used: 2
Number of flats: 31
Number of collisions with vehicles: 3
Cases of food poisoning: 3
Months at the top of the Strava Monthly Distance Challenge: September, October, November
Strava KOM trophies won along the route: 15
Records broken: 4 (self-supported FKT from US-Canada border to US-Mexico border, record from Prudhoe Bay, AK to Panama City, Panama, record from Cartagena, Colombia to Ushuaia, Argentina, and Pan-Am record from Prudhoe Bay, AK to Ushuaia, Argentina)