Mountain bike · Hayward, Wisconsin · since 1983
Chequamegon MTB Festival
The Chequamegon 40 and the Short & Fat run Saturday, September 19, 2026, both at 10:00 AM. Friday, September 18 is bib pickup, the expo, a shakeout ride and the kids' Little Loggers. The 2027 date has not been posted.
What is the Chequamegon MTB Festival?
The Chequamegon MTB Festival is a mountain bike race weekend in the Wisconsin Northwoods, held on a Saturday in mid-September. Its main event, the Chequamegon 40, starts in downtown Hayward and finishes at the Great Hall in Cable, roughly 40 miles later over the American Birkebeiner ski trail. It began in 1983 with 27 riders and now draws more than 2,800 across its events; Life Time has run it since 2011 and calls it America's largest point-to-point mountain bike race.
Registration runs through the Let's Do This platform. Life Time Club-Access members (after six months) get access one week before the general public. Fees are non-refundable and entries are not transferable; you can defer to the next year for 50% of the entry fee. The field has been capped since 1990 (3,100 since 2013) and the event used a lottery from 1999 into the Life Time era, so do not wait until the last week.
- Next edition
- Usually
- A Saturday in mid-September
- Start
- Hayward Primary School, 10665 Main St, Hayward, WI (Chequamegon 40 start). Finish and Short & Fat start: Derksen Family Great Hall, 42225 Telemark Rd, Cable, WI
Hayward, Wisconsin - Distances
- Chequamegon 40 — Point to point, downtown Hayward to the Great Hall in Cable, on the Birkie ski trail, forest roads and snowmobile routes. Timed as 38 to 42 miles depending on the year's course.
- Short & Fat — Starts and finishes at the Great Hall in Cable. Same kind of terrain, shorter.
- Little Loggers — Kids' 15-minute loop on Friday. Free.
- Terrain
- Rolling Northwoods doubletrack and ski trail: constant short punchy climbs, gravel and grass, some sand. No sustained climbs.
- Climbing
- 3,000 ft on the longest route
- Riders
- more than 2,800 riders across all events in 2025, from 40 states and 9 countries
- Cost
- $125 Chequamegon 40, $100 Short & Fat, Little Loggers free (2026 pricing)
- Founded
- 1983 by Telemark employees Tom Kelly, Dan Hunt, Mike Cooper and Phil VanValkenberg, with Phil Rasmussen of Lakewoods Resort
- Organizer
- Life Time
How the Chequamegon MTB Festival started
The race started in 1983 with 27 riders. A group of Telemark Lodge employees, Tom Kelly, Dan Hunt, Mike Cooper and Phil VanValkenberg, along with Phil Rasmussen of Lakewoods Resort, came up with the idea of a 40-mile off-road race from Hayward to Cable on the American Birkebeiner ski trail. Entries tripled in 1984 and doubled again in 1985, the year NORBA sanctioned it as the Midwest Off Road Championship.
By 1989 nearly 1,000 riders were entering. Organizers capped the field at 2,250 in 1990 and 2,500 in 1991. Greg LeMond won rain-shortened editions in 1990 and 1991. Trek became the main sponsor in 1993. In 1997 the 2,500 spots sold out in under 24 hours, and in 1999 the event moved to a lottery. Festival director Gary Crandall was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2003.
Life Time bought the event in 2011 and raised the cap to 2,750, then 3,100 for the 30th anniversary in 2013. The name changed from Fat Tire Festival to MTB Festival in 2019. The 2025 edition was the 42nd. The festival helped start CAMBA, the local trail association, in 1992 and has supported it since.
What to expect on the day
The Chequamegon 40 leaves downtown Hayward at 10:00 AM Saturday and heads for the Great Hall in Cable. Expect a fast start on pavement and gravel, then the Birkie trail: wide, grassy, and relentless. The course is a roller coaster of 25- to 50-foot climbs rather than one big ascent. The Fire Tower climb around mile 29 is where the race usually breaks up, followed by the Seven Sisters rollers before the final aid station at High Point.
There are three aid stations: Gravel Pit (mile 12), OO (mile 18) and High Point (mile 30), with sports drink, gels and snacks. Cutoffs are 11:45 AM at mile 12, 12:33 PM at mile 18, 2:15 PM at mile 30 and 4:00 PM for the course. You drop your bike and pick up your bib at Hayward Primary between 7:00 and 9:30 AM.
The finish festival at the Great Hall runs 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM with awards at 3:15 PM. The Short & Fat starts there at 10:00 AM. Friday has bib pickup from 1:00 to 7:00 PM, the expo, an 11:00 AM shakeout ride and the Little Loggers kids' race. The elite race is a round of the Life Time Grand Prix, so you will share the weekend with pros.
Weather in Hayward for the Chequamegon MTB Festival
Around September 19 Hayward averages a high near 68°F and a low near 47°F, with about a one-in-three chance of rain on any given day. Mornings can be cold and the course has been shortened for rain in the past, so pack layers and a jacket for the start.
Loading the forecast for Hayward…
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Times are local to Hayward.
The town
Sleep, eat, fix the bike.
Hayward is a town of about 2,500 in Sawyer County, northwest Wisconsin, roughly 70 miles south of Lake Superior. It is a year-round recreation town built on lakes, forest and the American Birkebeiner ski trail. Cyclists come for the Chequamegon MTB Festival, which starts on Main Street each September, and for the CAMBA network of more than 135 miles of singletrack and 200 miles of mapped gravel between Hayward and Cable.
Hayward is about 66 miles from Duluth International Airport (DLH) and 115 miles from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), roughly two and a half to three hours by car from the Twin Cities. There is no useful transit; you need a car, and race weekend traffic between Hayward and Cable on U.S. 63 is heavy. Lodging fills months ahead for the festival.
Chequamegon MTB Festival FAQ
Does the race start in Hayward or Cable?
The Chequamegon 40 starts in downtown Hayward at Hayward Primary School and finishes at the Derksen Family Great Hall in Cable. The Short & Fat starts and finishes at the Great Hall in Cable.
Is there a lottery?
Not currently. Registration is first come, first served on Let's Do This, with a one-week early window for Life Time Club-Access members. The event has used a lottery in past years when demand exceeded the cap.
What bike do I need?
A mountain bike. The course is ski trail, forest roads and snowmobile routes with sand, grass and gravel. Gravel bikes are used by some, but most riders are on hardtails or short-travel full-suspension bikes.
Are there cutoffs?
Yes. 11:45 AM at mile 12, 12:33 PM at mile 18, 2:15 PM at mile 30, and 4:00 PM for the whole course. Riders past those times are pulled.
How do I get back to Hayward after finishing in Cable?
The race is point to point, about 20 miles by road. Plan a ride with friends or family, or stay in Cable. Check the event's info page for current shuttle options.
Can I get a refund?
No. Fees are non-refundable and not transferable. You can defer to the following year for 50% of the entry fee, space permitting.
Sources · 9 pages we read
- cheqmtb.com https://www.cheqmtb.com/
- cheqmtb.com https://www.cheqmtb.com/festival-history/
- cheqmtb.com https://www.cheqmtb.com/registration/
- cheqmtb.com https://www.cheqmtb.com/info/
- cheqmtb.com https://www.cheqmtb.com/chequamegon-40/
- lifetimegrandprix.com https://www.lifetimegrandprix.com/events/chequamegon-mtb/
- endurancesportswire.com https://www.endurancesportswire.com/melisa-rollins-and-alexey-vermeulen-claim-victory-at-42nd-life-time-chequamegon-mtb-festival/
- yahoo.com https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/preview-chequamegon-40-141002661.html
- weatherspark.com https://weatherspark.com/m/11607/9/Average-Weather-in-September-in-Hayward-Wisconsin-United-States
Facts checked September 15, 2026. Dates and prices come from the organizer and change. Confirm on the official site before you book anything.
