John Stamstad: Early Motivations

Seattle resident John Stamstad is a legendary ultra endurance athlete who arguably established the bikepacking niche.

John’s palmarès include both off-road cycling and trail running accomplishments from the mid 1980s through the early 2000s:

–1992 First off-road crossing of Australia by bicycle–3,500 miles

–1993, 1994, 1995, 1996: Iditasport Race (170 mile)

–1997, 1998, 1999, 2000: Iditasport Race (350 mile)

—Ultra-Marathon Cycling Association 24 Hour Off-Road World Record: 352 miles

–1996: First solo entry and first solo finish of the 24 Hours of Canaan (he entered as a team using four variations of his name) and bested more than half of the teams. He was undefeated in the solo class at 24 Hours of Canaan.

–1999: Pioneered riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, 2,500 miles with 200,000′ feet of climbing, unsupported. His individual time trial of 18 days and 5 hours stood for 5 years.

–2005: Ran the 200-mile John Muir Trail unsupported

–Ran the 100-mile White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park unsupported. To stay hydrated Stamstad ran with a modified baby jogger full of water.

A significant hallmark of John’s ultra career has been to be the first: He pioneered routes, gear, and techniques that laid the foundation for the recent surge in bikepacking activity.

In this interview clip, John talks about his early ultra motivations, and how his motivations changed over time.

View the other clips
John Stamstad: Gear Evolution
John Stamstad: Finding Balance
John Stamstad: Bikepacking Gear
John Stamstad: The Challenge is the Goal