204-Mile Route & Course Files

Sometimes it’s not the finish line that matters. It’s the struggle that went before.  – author unknown

204-Mile Key Stats

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

General Navigation & Turn-By-Turn Directions

  • You are required to have our custom cue sheets provided below; 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.
  • If you want turn-by-turn directions, your best bet is a Garmin Edge, Wahoo Element or other bike computer with a TCX or FIT file.
  • 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).
  • 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 (available via Ride with GPS).

Cue Sheets
204-mile cue sheets v1 (5/31/23, PDF, 2 pages). Custom made – street names will match street signs. Do NOT use embedded cue sheets in Ride with GPS or Strava. 

GPX, TCX & and FIT Route Files (for 2024; same as 2023 course/files)

  • Ride with GPS GPX: Sign in. Click on View Full Version or Send to Device in map below, select Export, download GPX or TCX (turn by turn, for newer devices) file.
  • Strava: Sign in. Download GPX and TCX files.