Race the Rails

On September 6, 2025, The Nevada Northern Railway's historic steam locomotive races competitive bike racers over the hills nad through the high desert landscapes of Ely Nevada.  The 9th Annual Race the Rails pits man versus machine in a fun and exhilerating challenge where bikers of every age can compete. 

At the sound of the train whistle, mountain and road bikers race to see who can get back to the depot before the train.

Mountain bikers and gravel grinders test their speed and agility on a challenging 10-mile course through the beautiful mountains surrounding Ely. Road bikers prove their speed and endurance on a 25-mile course along roads and highway sin the area. Everyone who finishes the course will receive a finishers medal.

This is not a regular race against time, or your fellow riders. It’s a race against one of history’s most powerful inventions! It’s a Race the Rails – 2025!

Register for the Race the Rails here: https://bit.ly/4nREooK

Ely is a remote mountain town of 4,000 where history, art, and outdoor adventure run deep. In the nearby Great Basin National Park, travelers have the chance to descend into the depths of the Lehman Cave system to explore a series of limestone and marble caverns full of huge stalagmites and other wild rock formations. The park is also home to the snow-capped Wheeler Peak which, at 13,000 feet, is the second-tallest mountain in Nevada