2026 RAT 1000 and Mini RAT

Event Overview

The RAT 1000: The Legend of Texas Gravel 🐀:
The Only Continuous Mixed Surface Route Across Texas. Contested Every Year Since 2014.
Some call it the Race Across Texas. Some call it the Ride Across Texas. Everyone calls it the adventure of a lifetime.

Are you ready to tackle the Granddaddy of Ultra Endurance Texas Gravel? Whether you are here to race against the clock or party across the Panhandle, the RAT 1000 is a challenging odyssey that connects the piney woods of the East to the high desert of the West.

Club Spinistry Members ride FREE!

👉: Join the RAT 1000 Facebook Group for the latest banter

Choose Your Adventure

We offer three ways to tame the RAT. Choose your poison:

• The RAT 1000 Stage Race / Party: For the social adventurer. We ride as a group, suffer together, and gather at the same overnight locations every night. It’s a rolling festival of grit and gears.
• Self-Supported ITT (Individual Time Trial): For the ultra-endurance purist. Runs under "Tour Divide" rules. The clock starts when you pedal off and doesn't stop until you hit New Mexico.
• The Mini RAT: For the "I have a job" cyclist. Ride any portion of the route you want. No pressure to finish the full 1000. Join us for a single weekend or pedal back to DFW.

The Route Overview

From Texarkana to Tucumcari. This is not a ride around the block. The RAT 1000 is a geographical tour de force, evolving from humid forests to arid high plains.

• Leg 1: The Green Tunnel & The Red River (Texarkana to Paris) - Miles 0 - 100.
• Leg 2: The Cross Timbers Transition (Paris to Gainesville) - Miles 100 - 300.
• Leg 3: The Gateway to the West (Gainesville to Vernon) - Miles 300 - 550.
• Leg 4: The Red Roads & The Escarpment (Vernon to Silverton) - Miles 550 - 750.
• Leg 5: The High Plains Drifter (Silverton to Tucumcari) - Miles 750 - 1000.

The Stage Race Schedule

(Subject to modification - Plan for 9 Days of Glory)

• Stage 1: Saturday 6am Start from Texarkana, 1112 miles, 2169ft, ends in Clarkesville.
• Stage 2: Sunday Start TBD, 98 miles, 2517ft, ends in Bonham.
• Stage 3: Monday Start TBD, 111 miles, 3582ft, ends in Gainesville.
• Stage 4: Tuesday Start TBD, 108 miles, 3440ft, ends in Lake Arrowhead State Park (camping required).

... (continue to list remaining stages) ...

A Brief History of the RAT

The RAT was born in 2014 as a "gateway drug" for the Tour Divide—a 900-mile primer with a safety net (every mile is within a day's drive of DFW).

• The Early Years (2014-2015): Focused on State Parks and Rail Trails. Learned that trail conditions are unpredictable.
• The Evolution (2016-Present): Shifted to the "Permanent Route," utilizing public roads.
• 2017: Rounded it up to a clean 1000 miles.

The “Don’t Be That Guy” Rules

• Obey Traffic Codes: Stop signs apply to bikes, too.
• No Littering: Leave Texas better than you found it.
• No Trespassing: This is Texas. Trespassing can lead to disqualification.
• Be Cool: Represent the cycling community well.

For more details, visit the official race page.