Chequamegon MTB Festival

Chequamegon MTB Festival Chequamegon MTB Fest has given riders from all over off-road racing at its best. | Sep. 19th, 2026 Add to that a world-class event headquarters in Cable, WI.

Since its inception in 1983, the Chequamegon MTB Festival has built a popularity and reputation that is unmatched in the sport today. From the 27 hardy cyclists who lined up to challenge the unknown trails of the Chequamegon in the first year, to the sold out limited field of 3,000 the Festival has earned a deserved reputation of one of the nation’s great grassroots events. The unparalleled succes

s of the event is a combination of key special event factors. The rolling glacial terrain of the area's forests provides point-to-point race courses that are as beautiful as they are challenging. Combine this with unbounded community welcome and a tremendous volunteer effort. Tie it all together with the support of major sponsor Trek and a cast of generous supporting sponsors. The result is the off road bicycle event, now owned and produced by Life Time Fitness, which sets the benchmark for quality and popularity. With a field limit of 2,100 participants, the Chequamegon 40 is the main event of the weekend. While a few compete for the chance to be called champion of the 40 miler, the rest of the field is made up of citizen's class athletes in it for the adventure and personal challenge inherent in the sport. A concurrently run 16 mile companion event, the Short & Fat, offers a challenging but equally exciting back woods cycling experience to an additional 900 cyclists. Filled with activities that mom, dad and both the children can enjoy, the Chequamegon weekend offers fun for all. With a combination of friends and family it is not just a race, it’s a really great time. CHEQUAMEGON & LIFE TIME FITNESS ATHLETIC EVENTS FACEBOOK COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
Life Time Athletic Events; Chequamegon
www.eventsbylifetime.com + www.cheqmtb.com

Guidelines for this Page
Our purpose for this page is to create a resource to inspire and encourage you in your efforts to achieve a Healthy Way of Life through participation in events and races that help you achieve your goals and commitments. We look forward to your conversations, and want to ensure you understand the following expectations:

-Please feel free to express your opinion and feel comfortable to enter any discussion or ask relevant questions, but comments and questions that do not respect the topic, community or event will be removed.
-Not all conversations are reviewed. Chequamegon reserves the right to remove any comments or posts that do not follow our guidelines (spam or inappropriate information or links; threatening, defamatory, offensive, abusive, hateful, fraudulent, profane or off-topic comments; anything suggesting deceptive or illegal activity).
-Remember, this is a public channel, so please do not post any personal or secure information about yourself or others.
-Chequamegon does not endorse or control any third-party link, advertising or suggestions that we did not originate.
-Facebook is owned and operated by a third party not affiliated with Chequamegon or Life Time Fitness. This site is governed by Facebook’s privacy policies and terms. All users must comply with Facebook’s terms of use and these guidelines. If a user repeatedly engages in inappropriate activity, we reserve the right to block the user from participating on the page.
-User comments and posts do not necessarily represent the opinions of Chequamegon, Life Time Fitness, our employees, our sponsors or our partners. We are not responsible for, and do not confirm the accuracy of the comments, visuals, videos or any other types of material posted by users of this page.

06/11/2026

We're officially 100 days out from the 2026 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival!

We can't wait to be back out on the trails of Cable this fall, soaking up the breathtaking beauty of the Northwoods and celebrating our communal love of life on two wheels 🧡🌲

Rep your love for the Northwoods with some official merchandise from the Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival 🧡🌲Whether yo...
06/10/2026

Rep your love for the Northwoods with some official merchandise from the Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival 🧡🌲

Whether you're in need of a new T-Shirt, hat, hoodie, or even riding gear, we've got you covered.

Shop now at the link below👇

Sometimes life comes full circle... That was certainly the case for longtime rider and mastermind behind the Life Time C...
06/05/2026

Sometimes life comes full circle... That was certainly the case for longtime rider and mastermind behind the Life Time Chequamegon "MTB Festival" rebrand, Derek Wallen!

Derek first discovered Chequamegon in some of its earliest days. "The first time I did Chequamegon was in the fall of 1989, I was ten years old. My dad talked me into doing the “Short & Fat” race with him and 16 miles didn’t seem too bad. I was excited to race and fully embraced the look — complete with that year’s race shirt, homemade spandex, coke-bottle specs and riding a fully rigid aqua Cannondale. I was ready"

After finishing his first Short & Fat, he was hooked. His passion for endurance sports grew into adulthood, alongside an eye for design. "In 2015 I applied for a senior design position at Life Time... In 2016, as a Life Time employee, I finally competed in my first full Cheq 40. Being part of the grand rollout down Mainstreet, then diving into the legendary Chequamegon National forest was epic."

Given his longtime connection to the event, Derek was the perfect choice to lead the charge on our rebrand from 'Fat Tire Festival' to 'MTB Festival.' "My stars aligned to be the lead creative at Life Time working on the project. Peter’s vision for a “festival in the north woods” combined with the rich history dating back to ‘83...The real magic of Cheq is recanted in the racer’s experiences and stories. We developed new visuals for the brand that imbued those stories and highlighted the cultural lore surrounding Chequamegon. Paired with color cues from fall foliage the rebrand became a visual tapestry of bespoke graphic patterns, seen in everything from swag to post-race festivities...It’s been truly special to see my work at Chequamegon and share it with my kids and family."

Read the full story at the link below👇

06/04/2026

Fast lines. Full send. 😁

The all-new Kenda Dagger is built for riders chasing speed on fast, rolling XC terrain, making it a perfect choice for the Chequamegon MTB Festival!

With low rolling resistance, lightweight race-ready construction, and confident control when the trail conditions switch up, Dagger is made to keep the pace high from start to finish.
 
This tire is ready to fly for all 40 miles of drag racing 🏁

05/31/2026

Fast lines. Full send. 😁

The all-new Kenda Dagger is built for riders chasing speed on fast, flowing XC terrain like Chequamegon. With low rolling resistance, lightweight race-ready construction, and confident control when the trail conditions switch up, Dagger is made to keep the pace high from start to finish.

From hardpack sprints to smooth singletrack, this tire is ready to fly. 🏁

Chequamegon weekend is about so much more than racing...Your annual escape to the Northwoods is an opportunity to connec...
05/31/2026

Chequamegon weekend is about so much more than racing...

Your annual escape to the Northwoods is an opportunity to connect with the charming community of Cable! While you're in town, we encourage you to explore the area, try out local eats and libations, and discover the plethora of natural beauty beyond the boundaries of the race course.

Get the ball rolling on your fall adventure by securing your lodging with HotelPlanner. Their specially negotiated rates on all types of accommodations prevent you from ever overpaying on lodging. Plan your trip today at the link below 👇

Happy   from the Northwoods! 🏁Get stoked for the weekend with a look back at the last 5 years of the rowdiest finish lin...
05/29/2026

Happy from the Northwoods! 🏁

Get stoked for the weekend with a look back at the last 5 years of the rowdiest finish line in racing🔥

Course Preview: Yeti’s Lair Towards the end of the Short & Fat and Cheq 40 courses, riders enter the North End Trails, a...
05/28/2026

Course Preview: Yeti’s Lair

Towards the end of the Short & Fat and Cheq 40 courses, riders enter the North End Trails, also known as the Yeti’s Lair. The trail gets tighter and the trees get thicker in this section of the course, making it difficult to see whatever might be out there watching...

That’s why you’d better ride fast! The fabled CheqSquatch has been known to hunt in this area 🫈

Address

13460 Spruce Street
Cable, WI
54821

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