204-Mile Route & Course Files

204-Mile Key Stats

  • Route: Au Gres at Lake Huron to Ludington at Lake Michigan (map below)
  • Distance: 204 miles
  • Percentage of gravel/two-tracks: 85%
  • Elevation Gain: approx. 6,500 ft. (Strava/Ride with GPS are inaccurate)
  • Start: 6:00 am (sunrise is 5:53 am)
  • Beat the Sunset cut-off: 9:33 pm or 15 hours, 40 min., 13.6 mph
  • Final cut-off: 2:30 am; 10.1 mph

Cue Sheets (Mandatory)

2026 204-mile cue sheets (same as 2025 as of 6/1/26)

  • 2 pages. Custom made – street names will match street signs.
  • Do NOT use embedded cue sheets in Ride with GPS or Strava.

GPX & TCX Files (Recommended)

  • Sign in to Strava and download GPX and TCX files (last updated 8/17/24 but current for 2026 as of 6/1/26)
  • Or, go to Google Drive and download GPX file
  • No changes expected for 2026
  • No longer available on Ride with GPS to make sure there are not multiple copies of the route floating around. Sorry.
 

General Navigation

  • You are required to have our custom cue sheets provided above; Following a GPX/TCX file on a GPS bike computer is highly recommended. The course will ONLY be signed at two-tracks, snowmobile trails, etc. where some added clarity might be needed.
  • You may need to download the file to your desktop/laptop, connect your phone via USB, and then move GPX or TCX to bike computer (e.g., into New Files folder in Garmin).
  • You may need to split the route into two sections for your bike computer to handle the file. Particularly with some Wahoo bike computers.
  • Note: GPX is a basic GPS track, compatible with most GPS devices. TCX is a GPS track with turn-by-turn directions, compatible with newer GPS devices. FIT is the best format for turn-by-turn directions on modern Garmin Edge Devices.

Turn-By-Turn Directions

Standard Strava .gpx or .tcx route files simply contain a “breadcrumb” string of coordinates. They do not contain turn-by-turn directions. To get the commands to register on a cycling computer (like a Garmin or Wahoo) or navigation app, follow these steps:

  1. Export the Route: Download your route file from Strava in the GPX format.
  2. Import into a Navigation Planner: Upload that .gpx file to a route-building platform that supports turn generation, such as Ride with GPS or Komoot.
  3. Generate Cues: These platforms will automatically convert the raw line into an interactive map that generates turn-by-turn cue sheets and audio notifications.
  4. Export as TCX/FIT: Export the new route from that platform to your Garmin Edge, Wahoo Element or other navigation app using the .tcx or .fit file format, as the .gpx format does not natively support turn notifications.

MAPS FROM CHECKPOINT 2 TO 3 FOR SUPPORT CREWS TO RESCUE RIDERS