Meaghan Hackinen just made history on the Tour Divide, completing the 2026 Grand Depart in 14 days, 10 hours, and 2 minutes. In the process, she lowered the previous fastest women’s time, set by Austin Killips during a 2024 ITT, by more than 13 hours. She also improved her own Grand Depart record by nearly 37 hours, one of the largest leaps we’ve ever seen at the front of the sport.
Meaghan credits course knowledge from her 2024 Tour Divide, a relentless focus on reducing stoppage time, and favorable weather conditions as some of the key factors behind this year’s record-setting performance.
But this ride didn’t happen overnight.
It came on the heels of a transformative 2025. Meaghan ended a long-term relationship, stepped away from a long-standing work contract, and ended her relationship with alcohol. At the same time, she raced the entire Mountain Race Series, becoming the first woman ever to complete all three events in a single season. And she wasn’t just completing them, she was racing at the front.
- Atlas Mountain Race — 2nd Woman
- Hellenic Mountain Race — 1st Woman
- Silk Road Mountain Race — 1st Woman
She started 2026 touring the Baja Divide before lining up for her very first Mid South. From there, she bikepacked more than 500 miles to Point Blank, Texas, for the start of the East Texas Showdown, where she set a new women’s course record of 1 day, 2 hours, and 22 minutes.
After proving her fitness in a stacked field at ETS, she headed to Leadville, Colorado, for a high-altitude training block before returning home to Canada for the final preparations ahead of what would become a historic ride on the Tour Divide.
On today’s episode, Meaghan shares the changes she made in 2025, the journey that led her back to the Tour Divide, and a deep dive into one of the most impressive performances in the history of bikepacking.
Editor’s Note
During today’s episode, I incorrectly stated that Meaghan established the women’s overall fastest time in 2024.
More accurately, her 2024 ride established a new women’s Grand Depart record. Later that summer, Austin Killips established the women’s fastest overall time during an Individual Time Trial (ITT). Meaghan’s 2026 Tour Divide performance surpassed both marks, making her the current holder of both the women’s Grand Depart record and the fastest women’s time ever recorded on the route.
For reference, here’s the progression of the modern women’s records:
- 2015 — Lael Wilcox — 17d 01h 51m (Grand Depart)
- 2015 — Lael Wilcox — 15d 10h 59m (ITT)
- 2023 — Lael Wilcox — 16d 20h 00m (Grand Depart)
- 2024 — Meaghan Hackinen — 15d 23h 00m (Grand Depart)
- 2024 — Austin Killips — 14d 23h 12m (ITT)
- 2026 — Meaghan Hackinen — 14d 10h 02m (Grand Depart)
I think this distinction is worth noting because it highlights just how remarkable Meaghan’s 2026 ride was. She didn’t just lower the Grand Depart benchmark—she also established the fastest women’s time ever ridden on the Tour Divide, regardless of whether it was achieved in a Grand Depart or an ITT.
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