2024 DotWatcher Awards

Best DotWatcher Award - Niel Copeland

Niel Copeland is an accomplished coach, racer and now DotWatcher. The co-runner of the DotBooster Academy, Niel coaches plenty of clients in the bikepacking world and has raced globally, including the TCR, TransBalkans Race and the Atlas Mountain Race. However, this year he’s also been the man behind the screen commentating the Silk Road Mountain Race, The Wild West Country and Via Race to name a few. He brings his racing and coaching experience into DotWatching, creating a full picture of the ride and the rider. Thank you Niel for an incredible year of commentary.

Ultra racing is full of thrilling stories and intense races within races, but it can be tough for viewers to fully grasp what’s happening and what the riders are feeling. That’s where the DotWatcher commentary comes in. I love commentating on races I’ve done. It lets me share my experience of the route, the scenery, and the challenges, and try to bring those things to life. But that’s not enough; you also need to build up your sources of information and connections with the riders so you can uncover those hidden stories. I’ve had the chance to cover some of the biggest races this year, and my goal has always been to bring stories from all over the field. There’s so much more going on than just the top ten. The highlight was definitely covering Silk Road, although as a coach with a few clients riding it, it’s hard to stay completely impartial! I’m excited about 2025 and to see how our unique branch of cycling grows and develops. The challenge is how we grow the coverage of the sport without taking away the essential sense of solo adventure.

People's Choice Award

This year, Jana Kesenheimer captured the ultra-cycling world’s attention with her unmatched effort at the 2024 Transcontinental Race. Jana has been racing and riding for years, this showed in her strong and flawless performance taking First Woman Finisher at TCRNo10. Jana’s experience includes many top ten overall finishes and first woman at races like the Unknown Race, Three Peaks Bike Race and Dead Ends and Cake. Congratulations to Jana, she’ll be one to watch over the next few seasons!

After participating in more than 15 ultra-cycling races in our unsupported community, I finally dared to take on the TCR this year - and I’m sure you know what it means to feel that special 'sparkle' during such events. I had been chasing that feeling ever since my very first race, the TPBR in 2020, and it was during TCR #10 that I finally experienced it again. I absolutely love the 'magic' we sometimes feel during these races, which makes us feel like children on a grand treasure hunt. I’m incredibly thankful that the dotwatchers recognized how special this year was for me. I’m truly honored. Thank you all! I hope everyone finds this magical feeling on their bikes!

Rookie Award

This year, the bikepacking race world has focused firmly on the Triple Crown (take a look here to learn more). Most people race each race separately, ride a handful of bikepacking races and then think about racing the Triple Crown Challenge. Dylan Disarro did it a little differently… he managed to finish the Triple Crown Challenge this year in 34 days, 16 hours and 54 minutes never having ridden any of the races. His foray into longer distances has been short and sweet, comparatively, before racing for over a month in a year. Well done to Dylan, we cannot express how hard this challenge is and being able to do it in your first true year is a true badge of honour.

In 2023, I set out the goal of finishing my first ultra cycling race, the Unbound XL 350 race in Kansas. I had tons of racing experience but nothing in the ultra distance. I am no stranger to wanting to push my limits and see what my body can do. Many past efforts show I respond well to having big goals that challenge myself. After completing Unbound, I could see the infectious effects it had on my family, friends and community. Cycling often feels selfish. To see the positive influence my efforts could have on people, it felt very empowering. I had heard about the Tour Divide from videos such as Ride the Divide and Lael Wilcox's "I just want to ride" film. I started researching and training for the Tour Divide race in 2022 when I realized there is a Triple Crown. I thought to myself it might be possible if I could finish the Divide, maybe I could tackle all three. 2024 has been an amazing year for me. I am very thankful for my family and friends who motivate me to push myself beyond my limits. It really does take a village of support to pull off such a feat like the Triple Crown. These adventures always teach you about yourself, and these lessons can be brought back to everyday life. I have learned so much from my fellow peers racing and have made life long friendships. I hope to carry this momentum into 2025 as I slowly transition from rookie to veteran. Here's to more challenges and adventures, and continuing to inspire others to go after their dreams.

Perseverance Award

In 2023 when Victor Bosoni tackled the mammoth North Cape 4000 race, he seemed to have had a fire lit in his belly and signed up for the 2024 Transcontinental Race No10. Joining the Green Leaderboard, the young rider was placing extremely highly in the GC and the Green Leaderboard. He was in the throws with the likes of Robin Gemperle and Christoph Strasser. However, Victor was alerted that he’d left his passport and wallet 270km behind him. This meant over a 500km round trip to collect it. Most riders would’ve scratched at this point, but Victor made the trip and collected his passport. Throw in some mechanical problems and Victor did not have the chips fall in his favour, still, he rolled into the finish in Istanbul within the cut-off time.

*This year I signed up for the TCR with a lot of ambition. I started the race with a strong pace, riding alongside legends like Robin Gemperle and Christoph Strasser, exactly where I had dreamed of being. But when I made the devastating mistake of losing my passport, it felt like my dream was slipping away right before my eyes. It was heartbreaking to accept, and I felt immense guilt, especially towards those who had supported or discovered me. I was overcome with shame.

*After carefully considering my options, I made the tough decision to ride 550 kilometers round trip to retrieve my passport. What made this detour bearable, even uplifting, was the massive wave of support from dotwatchers. Their messages of encouragement moved me deeply, shattering the image I had of myself at that moment of failure and reminding me that I wasn’t alone.

*The self-supported nature of the TCR amplifies the intensity and emotional power of human interactions. In a race where you are solely responsible for every decision and outcome, these moments of connection become profoundly meaningful. Starting again after this setback was perhaps the hardest part. I had to redefine my purpose, regain my motivation, and reinvent myself. The TCR became less about competition and more about understanding who I am and what drives me. As the journey continued, I found joy in making mistakes, knowing I was learning and growing with each one. In the end, I also realized how lucky I was to be living this extraordinary adventure, fulfilling a dream I never dared to imagine years ago.

To the Dotwatchers, I owe you so much. Your love has not only carried me through the toughest moments of my journey, but continues to inspire me in who I am and who I strive to become in my entire life. Thank you for making this recognition even more special by being a part of it.

Race Documentation Award

As a race rookie, sharing the raw emotions you feel on your first ultra-endeavour can be difficult. Leyla Serbouti conveyed this and more through her extensive series of entertaining and thought-provoking drawings. Recounting her times on Transpyrenees No4, she showed us the highs, mainly refuelling at many friendly restaurants and lows, the dark riding and cold times, and an unfortunate situation of forgetting to fill her bottles. We won’t spoil it for you but it is well worth taking a look at her recap of the race via self-portrait.

The TransPyrenees was my first race and it was more than a physical challenge or a journey through the (stunning) Pyrenean landscapes. It was a journey of self-discovery and a wonderful introduction to the extra-ordinary ultra cycling community. Through my sketches, my initial goal was to ensure that I wouldn't forget any of the "small moments" and anecdotes I experienced during the race. It ended up being a great medium to convey the raw emotions, the ups and downs, the fun stories and encounters, and all the physical and emotional challenges that come with participating in such a demanding event. Documenting these moments allowed me to relive and share the spirit of the race, and it brings me immense joy to know that others have found meaning in my little doodles. I am very grateful and honored to receive this award. I hope to continue blending art with adventure in future projects!

Editors' Choice Award

Hetty Kingston embarked on the 2024 DEAD ENDS & cake with a very special trailer in tow… two small twins ready to be one of the first trios at an ultra (don’t worry, they weren’t riding!). After finishing DE&c in 2022 she was bitten by the ultra-bug and ready for round 2. This had to be postponed and in 2024 she took the exciting decision to bring her 1 year old twins along. Hetty is a huge advocate for women in the outdoors, having previously helped run the Women’s Trad Festival (Climbing) in the UK and now the Peak Gravel Gang. Making sure she had plenty of time to stop, rest, and let the twins have a play and a nap, she not only started the 2024 DE&c but managed to eat some cake at three of the checkpoints before heading back to the finish. Well done Annie, Flo and Hetty!

When I finished Dead Ends & Cake in 2022, I knew I had to come back. I couldn’t make the start line in 2023, as I was heavily pregnant, but I was super happy to show up in 2024 with my one-year-old twins in tow. Riding as a trio (only one of us was cycling) was both challenging and incredible. My goal was to get the start line, so to be able to collect all five checkpoints (with lots of breaks and stops in between) and see the twins having a fantastic time (they loved the cake) was way beyond my expectations.

Getting fit enough and coming back to cycling post-partum after having twins wasn’t easy, but it’s helped me reconnect with myself. Being nominated for this award feels like the icing on the top of the cake - there were some hard moments during the race and knowing folk were out there cheering my dot really kept me going. Thank you!

Green Dot Award

This year, the team at Lost Dot had their first-ever edition of the Accursed Race: a set route, off-road race through the Balkans. With the Transcontinental and the Transpyrenees Races to organise, pulling off a third is no mean feat, add into this their no-fly policy and you’ve got a trailblazer in sustainability to boot. Congratulations to the Lost Dot team for opening up the Accursed with a lean-on responsible tourism. We hope this race can help carry forward the increasing trend of environmental responsibility in ultra.

*Sustainability isn't a luxury, it's fundamental to the survival of our sport and our planet.

*The Accursed is an amazing journey through some of Europe's wildest landscapes, but they're also some of Europe's most threatened by both development and climate change. We want to show that bikepacking and racing can offer a sustainable and low-carbon way for countries to develop their natural environment. Making the race no-fly is not only imperative to slash its greenhouse gas emissions, but it also means starting the adventure as soon as you leave the front door.

Riders who jump on our Accursed Express coach service in Zagreb arrive in Shkoder, not only having already met their fellow racers, compared kit, train stories, and tales of Balkan cuisine, but also with the sense of accomplishment of having travelled from A to B in real time whilst simultaneously doing their part amidst the climate crisis.

Jack of All Trades Award

After winning the People’s Choice Award in 2023, Justinas Leveika has managed to top his show-stopping performances from last year. This season he had dotwatchers gripping the edge of their seats as he took the Fastest Known Time for the Tour Divide, was speedy at the Colorado Trail Race and finally won the Arizona Trail Race taking the Triple Crown Challenge record. Not only did Justinas pull off this mammoth bikepacking achievement but he also organised his race, The Bright Midnight, in Norway in the middle of all these races. Well done Justinas, as the end of the saying goes, though oftentimes better than a master of one.

Jack of all trades, master of none? Or some? Anyway, it's very nice that this effort to try to do a few things gets noticed. To be an amateur race director is fun, even though, in my opinion, its much harder than racing. But that said, I will keep doing it and most probably even more! The racing side was very successful this year. Although not planned. At the beginning of the season I only had Atlas and Tour Divide as my big goals, the rest just followed. A clean run in Divide opened the doors for the Triple Crown, which I didn't know much about. I got Trek Top Fuel gen4 just 2 weeks before flying to Colorado and frame bag from Tailfin was sent directly to Colorado. Arizona was done in similar fashion, the first training carrying a bike was done in Tucson, when I got to borrow the backpack from Lael Wilcox. Few days later race has started and next time I was carrying the bike it was rim to rim in Grand Canyon, 38km (24 mile) hike. Crazy stuff, a thing that I will always remember.