The Wayside
One Million Feet
Climbing seven figures of elevation in 100 Days
Mission Accomplished
On April 10, 2025, Ben Hildred finished 100 consecutive days of riding, with a total elevation gain of 1,000,784 feet. 305,039 meters. An average of 10,000 feet (3,048m) per day.
Ben didn't do this for the fame or fortune. He doesn't ride to prove he's the best, or to decimate the local legend segments in his hometown of Queenstown, NZ. He's doing it because it's what he enjoys. He's doing it because he wants to.
Seasoned Veteran
This isn't Ben's first rodeo.
Climbing outlandish distances is his comfort zone. He created the Olympus Mons challenge — an effort to ride the equivalent of the tallest mountain in the solar system, standing at a monstrous 69,841 feet (21,287 meters).
After conquering that in three days, Ben went on to ride one million vertical feet in 200 days. That was in 2021. This time he cut the time to one million in half.
""It took everything I had some days, will power isn’t always so willing, and the mind will soft scoop all and any energy from it’s other facets to keep going, and push through flakey stability and focus. Everything is left vanilla in pursuit of the daily goal that took precedence. This wasn’t a physical effort, but a mission of mental resilience.""
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