3 events in Kansas City, Missouri

Spoke Pony Showdown is back for 2026. During the heyday of endurance racing, the Spoke Pony Showdown was more of a sprint marathon than some of the longer format races. Although the race was shorter, the trails dominated riders with our famous KC limestone tech. Racers also battled heat, mechanical disasters, cramps, and exhaustion. The memories were never just about overall results. They were also about the crazy trailside props; who was going to win the fastest lap, fastest women’s lap, or fastest night lap; or maybe who was going to bonk so they’d have to walk it in. After it was all done and awards were handed out, the camaraderie continued late into the early hours of the next day.

This year’s Spoke Pony Showdown will also help support the Heartland Outside and Bike Stop organizations that continue to grow and protect the cycling and outdoor community here in Kansas City. From trail construction, maintenance, advocacy and community connection to making bikes and outdoor spaces more accessible, they help create the very community that made races like Spoke Pony possible in the first place.

Categories include Solo, Team, E-Bike, and Coed divisions. If you’re signing up for the Team event, make sure every rider uses the exact same team name during registration so we can group your teammates together correctly.

This event is designed to be both fun and challenging. Bring a tent, set up your pit area, play some music, and enjoy a full day of riding and community. We’ll have food available along with raffle prizes throughout the event.

The course will utilize most of Swope Park, giving riders a full endurance experience. Push yourself — or your team — to see how many laps you can complete during 6 or 12 hours of riding.

We created two different groups for the 12 Hour Marathon:

?? Racer Category – for riders looking to compete and push the pace.

?? Challenge Category – for riders who still want the challenge of completing the event, but without the pressure of racing.

We’re building this event around community. Not everyone wants to line up and race all day, but plenty of people still want to challenge themselves alongside friends and teammates. Think of this second group as the “I might have a beer between laps” category.

No matter which group you choose, the goal is the same — have fun, ride hard, and enjoy an awesome day at Swope.