According to the organizers’ social media account, the winners completed this year’s route in 10 days, 12 hours and 14 minutes.

«Both athletes know this race very well. Vlad has finished all five editions he entered and improved his result almost every year: 11th place in 2022, 10th in 2023, 7th in 2024 and 6th in 2025. Sergey finished 14th last year, and this time they joined forces to become the first pair to reach the finish line,» the organizers said.

The athletes said this was the first victory by Kyrgyzstanis in the history of the race, which is considered one of the world’s most prestigious and challenging bikepacking events.

The eighth edition of the Silk Road Mountain Race was also the most demanding on record. Participants had to cover 2,052 kilometers with more than 35,000 meters of elevation gain along high-altitude roads, mountain passes and trails of the Tien Shan. The route ran from Talas to Cholpon-Ata through some of Kyrgyzstan’s most remote regions.

The race is held in a self-supported format, with no support teams. Each rider is responsible for navigation, bicycle repairs, food and sleep, while the race clock runs continuously, day and night. As a result, the SRMR is regarded as one of the world’s premier endurance challenges in ultra-distance cycling.

The race has been held in Kyrgyzstan since 2018. Over the years, its winners have included leading riders from Europe and North America.

About 300 cyclists from 45 countries took part in this year’s race, including 11 representatives of Kyrgyzstan.