Hungarian Divide 2027: across the country for the eighth time
On 18 June 2027, the eighth Hungarian Divide starts from Tokaj. The field is capped at 150 riders, and applications open on 22 November. Here’s what changes in 2027 and what you need to know if you want to be on the start line.
The essentials
- Start: 18 June 2027, Friday, 18:00, Tokaj
- Finish: Szentgotthárd
- Field size: 150 riders at most
- Applications open: 22 November 2026, 18:00
- Selection: qualification and order of application. The first 150 applicants who meet the criteria get a place. If fewer than 150 riders qualify, we start with a smaller field.
Tokaj hosts the big start
It’s a Divide tradition: in odd years we start in the east, in even years in the west. So 2027 means an eastern start. Our beloved Smaragdvölgy, however, couldn’t have handled a crowd shared with the Tour Horizont, so the event moves to Tokaj.
Friday 18 June is the mandatory registration day for both events, and the Divide starts that evening at 18:00. The field lines up in front of a crowd of Tour Horizont riders (they start the next day), supporters and families. It’ll be a goosebumps moment! We introduced this start format in 2026, and it became one of the highlights of the season. Putting the Divide start on a stage is worth it for everyone: it motivates the riders, sets an example and makes the day memorable for everyone there. We can’t wait!
The two events keep their own formats and their own rules, and they’re communicated separately. The Divide is an off-road ultra race; the Tour Horizont is a bikepacking adventure tour. We’ll share the 2027 Tour Horizont details in a separate announcement.
One distance, 150 places
As in 2026, the Divide has a single distance in 2027: the full distance, from Tokaj to Szentgotthárd. A real Divide has no half. There’s only the Divide. We’re changing the route again, and we’re working to take in even more great off-road sections. Yes, an MTB will be the right choice for finishing it.
We cap the field at 150 riders, solo riders and pairs included. As with qualification, safety and a well-run event are among the main reasons: in a self-supported race we follow every rider, and with 150 starters we can do that properly.
How to get in
Applications open on 22 November 2026 at 18:00, with the qualification form. You’ll need to give your name, your email address and your ultra experience.
Selection is first come, first served. The first 150 applicants who meet the qualification criteria get a place. Two things count: whether you have the required experience, and when you apply. There’s no lottery, and no judgement beyond what the qualification table says.
The key dates:
- 22 November 2026: applications open at 18:00.
- 4 December 2026: we let every applicant know the result and the next steps of registration.
- 30 January 2027: deadline for everyone who got in to pay the entry fee, document their experience in detail and upload the mandatory medical certificate.
- 5 February 2027: the latest date by which we tell everyone on the waiting list whether they got a place.
- 18 June 2027: registration day and start in Tokaj, 18:00.
The 2027 entry fee is HUF 120,000 solo and HUF 240,000 for pairs.
If more riders apply than we have places, we’ll open a waiting list, and we’ll tell you clearly if you’re on it.
Once your application is accepted and the fee is paid, our cancellation terms apply: you can transfer your entry until 30 days before the race to another rider who meets the qualification rules, but refunds are only possible under our rules.
New in 2027: for qualifying events, starting is no longer enough. You need to have finished at least one event from the list. We announced this in 2026, and it applies from 2027.
If you don’t have the experience yet, we can’t offer you a place on the Divide. In that case, we suggest gaining it first (the Tour Horizont, for example, is itself a qualifying event) and then applying for the Hungarian Divide.
See you in Tokaj!
The Hungarian Divide is more than an event in Hungary. We believe it’s an experience that can change lives, shows a whole country and a whole region, and stays with you for life. The Divide sets out to show what a person can do on a bike, to grow adventure cycling and to draw international attention to Hungary’s natural and historical heritage. It shows the way, creates role models and gets the whole country moving.
If you’re reading this for the first time, lining up one day may feel far away, but nothing is impossible. This isn’t where you start, though: it’s the biggest event of its kind in Hungary, made for experienced cyclists and off-road or ultra athletes. If you’re new to this, a shorter adventure tour like the Tour Horizont, or shorter events abroad, can be your first steps towards finishing the Divide. Curious what’s out there in adventure cycling? Have a look at our event calendar.
Whether you’re riding the Hungarian Divide or the Tour Horizont, or you’re just curious: join us in Tokaj on 18 June 2027! The Divide awaits!
Marcell Gangel
Head organiser
Self-supported principles on the Hungarian Divide
The tables below give an overview of the most important rules. The exact rules are set out every year in the Race manual for the event.
| Category | Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Riding together | Riding with other participants is allowed on the Hungarian Divide. (This is what makes our format unique: it’s an exception to the self-supported approach.) | Organising together or sharing tasks (e.g. looking for accommodation together, sharing food bought at a resupply, repairing together). Cooperation between the members of a pair is the exception. Drafting behind another rider or using an external pacer. Drafting between the members of a pair is the exception. |
| Resupply and services | Using commercial businesses during opening hours (shops, hotels, petrol stations) that are open to everyone. Booking accommodation yourself, for the same day, at a place open to everyone. |
Accepting help that isn’t available to others. This includes “trail angel” help. Visiting places that aren’t open to others (e.g. a friend’s shop, your mum’s house, a holiday home). Using parcel services (e.g. parcel lockers). Pre-planned and pre-booked accommodation. |
| Mechanical problems | Using repair shops open to everyone. Important: you must rejoin the route exactly where you left it. | Having parts delivered by friends, or asking for help on social media. Accepting help from other riders. |
| Navigation | Making your own itineraries and notes based on research done beforehand. Using your own devices for information (tracker status, available services etc.). |
Dispatching: asking followers for real-time help by phone or on social media (e.g. “Where’s the nearest open shop?”, “How far behind me is…?”). Switching off the tracker. |
| Following the route | If you go off route: rejoining at the exact point where you left it and continuing the race. | Cutting corners, shortcuts, or not rejoining at the exact point after leaving the route. |
| Support | – | Using a support car or support crew that provides equipment, food or mental support. |
| Emergency | Safety first. In an emergency you must call for help, even if it means the end of your race. | Accepting outside help just to stay in the race (e.g. swapping bikes). |
| Basic rules of conduct | Being polite to locals, following the Leave No Trace principle, fair play with others. And one important point: “Don’t be a dick.” | Littering, disrespectful behaviour towards locals or other riders. Cheating, gaming the rules. |
Hungarian Divide qualification guidelines
| Experience | Qualifies | Does not qualify |
|---|---|---|
|
Qualifying events From 2027, starting is not enough: you need to have finished at least one of these events. The list keeps growing. |
Tour Horizont Balaton Bike Derby Finishing any self-supported ultra abroad BRM (min. 600 km) Ring 24 solo Salzkammergut A distance DZD 300 Magyar Kör – full distance |
For example: Horizont Intro BRM: finishing a distance under 600 km Ring 24: relay |
| Solo trips | We don’t accept solo trips as qualification. Only experience gained at an event counts. | Any trip ridden or organised outside an event. |
| Running | Finishing a trail ultra longer than 100 km | Road ultras, and trail ultras shorter than 100 km |
| Ironman | – | We don’t accept an Ironman finish as qualification for the Hungarian Divide. |
| High-mountain expeditions | Completing any multi-day high-mountain climbing expedition | Any single-day high-mountain hike |
| Professional cycling background | National team or professional racing background in any road or off-road discipline | National team or professional background in other sports |
| Pairs | If one member of the pair meets the criteria above, the pair can start the Hungarian Divide. | If neither member meets them, the pair can’t start. |
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