Inside the Divide with Meaghan Hackinen

What does it take to conquer the Tour Divide? Perhaps more intriguingly, what does it feel like? Spanning 4,417 km from Banff, Canada, to the Mexican border, this grueling journey has become one of the most respected challenges in the ultra-endurance world—a true test of grit, skill, and determination. For BC local Meaghan Hackinen though, this route now holds a special significance, after she claimed victory in a closely fought battle during this year's edition.

A year known for its contrasts, the 2024 race brought on relentless rain, unexpected snow, and record-breaking performances. Fortunately for us, we had the privilege of sitting down with Meaghan to learn how she navigated these challenges and what it took to secure the top spot.

1. Hey Meaghan, how’s your summer been going? Feeling recovered from your Tour Divide effort? 

Summer has been amazing! I’m feeling pretty strong now, but full disclosure: it’s taken at least a month for me to feel fully human again. While recovering, I’ve had the opportunity to combine dogsitting with fun social rides and bikepacking adventures in the Kootenays and on Vancouver Island.

2. Awesome. Well first things first, can you give us a bit of a rundown on how the race went for you? How did the battle for first unfold?

Ready to dive right in! I kicked off the Tour Divide full steam and feel like I wrapped things up pretty much the same. Alaskan racer and 2022 race winner Ana Jager kept the pressure on from day one: as soon as we left the iconic YMCA in Banff, Alberta, it was a neck and neck battle between the two of us. I absolutely love that I had someone as strong as Ana to push me every single day of the race. 

Despite early snow storms and stomach issues (more on that later) I managed to maintain a pretty consistent pace. Later on, I struggled with nose bleeds at altitude and deep fatigue, but I actually had a blast 95% of the time! I think this came through in my social media updates. Things kind of fell apart a little on the new (and technical) Continental Divide Trail sections in New Mexico, but I managed to keep the forward momentum going until I crossed the finish line at Antelope Wells, New Mexico, winning the women’s race and placing 7th overall, while also setting the fastest women’s grand depart time in Tour Divide history in a time of 15 days and 23 hours.

3. Amazing to hear! So what inspired you to do it in the first place? Have you been eyeing up the race for a while or was this more of a sporadic undertaking?

After a successful 2023 season of rugged but shorter bikepacking and ultra-races I felt like I was ready for another all-consuming challenge. Yet, I really struggled during my last long event during the 2022 Transcontinental Race. So I was in this weird place where my heart wanted to embark on something bigger, but I still hadn’t quite resolved all those lingering issues from the Transcontinental. The missing piece that helped me get to the start line was a coach. As for inspiration: the Tour Divide is simply legendary. I live just six hours from Banff, and so in addition to it being an easy event to begin logistically, many of my friends have raced or toured it already. So, there was no shortage of inspiration in getting me to the start line. Plus, I own a Salsa Cutthroat, the ultimate Tour Divide race bike.

4. So cool. So when it comes to your training leading up to the race, what did that look like? Was there anything in particular that you found really helped you prepare for being out there?

I’m a big fan of structured interval training in the winter months, so I stuck to that and transitioned into longer outdoor rides as the weather improved. Because the Divide is so long and strenuous, I built up my overall strength and resiliency with Dynamic Cyclist’s weight training and mobility workouts. 

Another thing that really helped me succeed was doing a few solo tours before the race to test run kit, and get used to being alone. As I mentioned, most of my races have been short; during recent tours, I’ve been accompanied by my partner. In order to prepare myself for longer stretches of being alone on the Divide, I set out on a few multi-day solo adventures with the primary goal of getting comfortable with myself. 

5. Nice, well it looks like it all paid off. Going into it, did you have an expectation as to how it would play out? How did the experience end up comparing to that?

I went into the Tour Divide with a three-tiered goal: first, to finish; second, to finish in 18 days (the goal time I submitted to Trackleaders), and third—if it appeared things were going well and my legs held up to the climbs—to challenge the current women’s course record. I had several pacing plans ranging from best to worst case scenario, and planned to adjust on the fly. Though I’d previously ridden most of the Canadian sections of the course—and have some gravel experience in Montana—most of the route was entirely new to me, and so no matter how much planning and prep work I did, I found it difficult to envision what the terrain and environment was going to look like.

So, the race was full of surprises! Mostly good ones (like out-of-this-world vistas on top of Richmond Peak, MT) but some unexpectedly challenging (like added difficulty of hauling my bike of gnarled roots and rocks in fresh snow on top of Lava Mountain, MT).

6. I can imagine! Well, amazing work handling those surprises. Was it pretty smooth sailing when it came to the food and hydration side? Or how did that go for you?

Unfortunately, things started out pretty rough for me. The combination of poor pre-race sleep, bad nerves, and pushing a bit too hard on day one left me nauseous and queasy. For the first few days, I fuelled with chocolate milk, fruit punch, and gummies—but couldn’t get much solid food in. Thankfully, after about 1,000 km my digestion settled down and I managed to ingest more calories. 

Ultra-cycling is sometimes said to be an eating contest—once my stomach settled down, I did my best to ingest as much food as humanly possible! Favourite snacks include Snickers and Payday bars, gas station breakfast burritos, and ice cream sandwiches.

7. Oh no, sorry to hear. Sounds like a rough start but great to hear that it turned around. So what about bike and gear setup then? Can you tell me what that looked like?

I used my trusty 2018 Salsa Cutthroat Force named Amelia. She’s seen me through races like the BC Epic 1000 and Dark Divide, and I knew I could count on her to get me to Antelope Wells (if I managed to keep her drivetrain from being constantly encrusted in mud). I used Apidura Backcountry bags and tried to keep my bike and gear weight to a minimum while still bringing the items I needed to feel safe and comfortable, including a decent sleep setup. 

Overall, I was very happy with my packing decisions. I’m sure that I could make a few tweaks in the future—perhaps a front suspension fork is something that I’d like to experiment with?—but I wasn’t kicking myself for missing anything in the moment.

8. Awesome, sounds like a sweet setup. And what about sleeping? How did you handle the sleep deprivation side of things?

I’ve struggled with sleep deprivation and fatigue on longer events like the Trans Am Bike Race and Transcontinental Race, so I knew that I had to race smarter on the Tour Divide than I had in the past. In general, I aimed to be off the bike from 10 pm - 4 am, but because I’m constantly running late (or maybe just secretly love night riding?) I rarely stopped pedalling before midnight. Thankfully, I still managed to prioritize rest. I also alternated bivvying with indoor stays in motels, and found that my quality of sleep was excellent in both. 

That being said, by the time I hit New Mexico the fatigue was wearing on me: my senses were dulled, I was ornery and grumpy, and my tender parts weren’t happy with all the washboard and bumpy roads.

9. Wild, sounds like a tough balance between sleep and pushing on! When it comes to the route, what ended up being some of your favorite sections? Were there any spots that really stood out to you?

Oh man, I’ve got to pick? I guess after day one (which was, coincidentally, the only day it didn’t rain for me), I’d have to say Colorado with its champagne gravel and gorgeous high mountain passes. But each province or state has its own unique appeal: I enjoyed the challenge of Montana’s snowy passes as much as navigating between teddy bear cholla cactuses in New Mexico, or riding through Wyoming’s Great Basin under moonlight.

10. Sounds amazing - nothing like some champagne gravel. And then let's talk gear - were there any key pieces of gear you couldn’t live without? 

My S2S butterscotch vest! I wore this essential piece of kit every single day: the temperatures on this year’s Tour Divide were chilly, and I appreciated the S2S vest’s extra layer of comfort. Another piece would be my homemade sleeping pad: light, simple, and insulating—can’t be beat!

11. Awesome! Very happy to hear that. We also saw that you lived in the Skypilot jacket for quite a while, that worked well for you?

Yup, I lived in my Skypilot jacket! I mean, I wish the weather was better, but I was grateful that I could rely on the Skypilot to keep me dry (but not sweaty) in snow storms and thunderstorms, and warm while riding through chilly mornings and nights. After day two, I stopped putting the Skypilot in my seatpost bag: I just strapped it to my aero bars or the outside seatpost pack for easy access. Plus, after over two weeks of heavy use on the trail, it still looks brand new!

12. Amazing, great to hear that it worked out for you. Along the route, there must have been some pretty tough lows throughout the race, did you do anything to stay motivated during those times?

That’s a tough one! I guess I just felt like I was on a mission, and tried not to let anything distract me from my goal. For the first few days, staying on target was easy. But around the midpoint, remaining focused became harder and harder. I had a mantra: “Consistently consistent”. I also had a mood-boosting theme song: Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me.”

13. I can imagine! And when it comes to the camaraderie of the event, can you describe the support amongst racers or the bikepacking community? Any memorable interactions you had with locals or fellow racers?

As a lifelong competitive athlete, engagement with other athletes is really important to me. In my early years as a competitive ultra-cyclist, I learned so much from other competitors in the field. During the Tour Divide, I sensed the shared camaraderie—even though I mostly rode alone.

One of my favourite early interactions was riding with Australian athlete Raymond Friederich. We met on a climb out of Eureka and just chatted our way through a couple big passes in sleet, hail, rain, and snow to Whitebird, Montana. Then I was in a bit of a void for a few days; my next interaction was passing Czech rider Tomas Fabian when he was sleeping six inches from the road in the Great Basin where he’d gotten stuck in peanut butter death mud. I didn’t know it then, but Tomas and I would continue to leapfrog each other until the final CDT section, when we ultimately decided to ride out the last 50 kilometres of pavement and finish together at sunrise.

14. So cool. And how did you balance speed with the need to enjoy the journey and the landscapes you were traversing? I figure that must be tricky sometimes.

Oh boy, you’ve touched on my eternal struggle! I think what enabled me to rip through the incredible landscapes of the Divide so quickly was all of my previous touring experience. Though I hadn’t toured the route, that spring I’d had at least two weeks of cumulative time on the road without time restrictions. 

As much as I enjoy racing, I also recognize that I need to balance it with less structured two-wheeled adventures, where I can really pause to absorb the scenery, snap photos, and enjoy all the serendipitous experiences along the way.

15. Ah that's amazing, sounds like you've got it pretty figured out if you ask me. For anyone thinking about doing the Divide in the future, is there any advice you'd give them?

Take some time to prepare, but be ready for all of your preparations to fly out the window. 

16. Wise words! And las question, would you do it again?

Yes! The Tour Divide is an iconic mountain race for a reason, and like so many others, I will definitely be back. It’s not in the cards for 2025, but already I’m nostalgic for those long solitary days on the bike, and will enjoy bringing everything I learned this time around into my next race effort.

Awesome! Well, looking forward to seeing that whenever it materializes. Great to hear more about how things went this year, and a huge congratulations again on the win Meaghan.