About the future of the Hungarian Divide

A new era begins in the life of one of Hungary's biggest ultracycling events: the Hungarian Divide will change in many ways starting in 2026. In this article, we have summarized the most important information about qualification, the event format, and answered some frequently asked questions.

Why?

Because our goal for the Hungarian Divide is to evolve into one of the world's leading ultra-races and to prepare those interested in cycling ultras in Hungary for international events. We are very proud of the results achieved so far, but we have clearly set the goal of making the Divide a recognized event in the world of ultracycling. We believe this can be achieved by adapting its format and rules to match the world's biggest cycling ultras.

This does not mean we are abandoning the community element, which is so important to us. On the contrary, we are also developing in the community aspect: we are essentially starting to build on two parallel threads. We are positioning the Divide as a true ultracycling challenge, with examples like: Tour Divide, Mountain Races, Highland Trail 550, Transcontinental. On the other thread, we are positioning the Tour Horizont as a real community bikepacking experience. Examples here include the Tuscany Trail and the Paris-Brest-Paris.

The reason for the change can be traced back to two important points. One is that the previously existing Hungarian Divide half-distance - although very popular - never truly found its place. A real Divide does not have a half version; there is only one Divide. We made this realization years ago but waited for the right moment to do something about it.

This right moment, the other reason for the change, is the birth of the Horizont cycling trail. This is a huge development in Hungary that can fundamentally change domestic off-road cycling tourism. The KLND team is honored to have been part of the planning and development team from the very beginning. However, an event was not discussed until now. We realized in the meantime that an event on the Horizont route would be an excellent solution to replace the half-distance. Thus, the Tour Horizont was born.

About the format change

Until now, we avoided using the word "race," always referring to the Divide as a tour. This will now change; we will officially call it a race, with a unique “self-supported” format. Briefly, the essence of the event: the person who follows the designated route according to the rules and reaches the finish line first will rank higher in the classification.

Another question concerning the format is the change in the pairs category. Previously, the pair essentially functioned as a relay, with the two individuals receiving one tracker and having to complete the course together - possibly alternating.

Starting in 2026, we are aligning with international examples: the pair will receive 1 tracker device per person, and both must complete the distance. If one member of the pair does not complete the challenge, the other member of the pair can be a finisher but will not be included in the individual ranking.

About the rules

Due to the change in format, the rules and their enforcement will receive a prominent role.

Although we provided guidelines in the previous editions of the event, their enforcement was not treated as it should be for a race. In this article, we provide an overview of this and have collected the most frequently asked questions in a table below. This is only an overview; the precise rules will be contained in the ‘Race manual’ issued for the event each year.

We will deviate from the real “self-supported” approach on only one point: we will allow riding together. Many events do not allow this in their rules, but we don’t follow this. We believe it detracts from the experience, and the enforcement of the rule is too difficult and a good old mid-pack party patrol is inevitable, even needed in all events. However, apart from riding together, planning together and sharing tasks (e.g., finding accommodation, resupply, etc.), and drafting are not permitted. See the table below for reference.

About qualification

Starting in 2026, we are introducing qualification criteria. We are doing this partly to protect the participants and partly to support the organization. By allowing participants who are medically fit and have experience to register, we exclude the possibility of many problems. This increases safety, which ultimately allows for a more stable environment and more balanced execution.

The application for the following year's Divide starts every autumn with filling out the qualification questionnaire on our website. We review the applications received here and provide information on the precise registration steps. We reserve the right to apply deadlines and limit the number of places.

What experience is needed to start the Hungarian Divide? In the table below, we have indicated what ultra or sports experience we accept as qualification for the Divide. In the absence of these, we cannot provide a place and will suggest that one should apply for the Hungarian Divide after gaining the necessary experience. 

About the execution

We have fixed the date; from now on, the Divide will start on the 3rd Friday of June every year. The familiar annual direction change remains: West-East in even years, East-West in odd years.

The Hungarian Divide and Tour Horizont will start from the same location, staggered in time. The goal of this is to provide a community experience and for the Divide finishers to step onto the grand stage of domestic ultra-cycling life, in front of the significant audience formed by the Tour Horizont participants. For the Tour Horizont participants, we want to show inspiration and an example through the Divide entrants.

The locations affected by the events (start, finish, checkpoints) will be shared. The organizational resources and media resources will also be shared, but the two events will be accompanied by two separate organizing teams. The communication and media platforms for the events will also be separate. Starting in 2026, we are introducing a media license. If a participant has direct or indirect commercial interests, displays logos, or creates promotional content about the Hungarian Divide, they are required to purchase a media license.

Conclusion

The Hungarian Divide is more than just an event in Hungary. We believe it is an experience that can change lives, showcase an entire country and region, and provide a lifelong memory. With these changes, we want to further elevate the standard of the already successful event and steer it in a sustainable, future-proof direction. This requires the rules and processes that ensure we can stay on this path. Thank you all for your trust and support so far, and we encourage everyone to try what it feels like to complete a cycling ultra once. The Divide awaits!

Self supported principles in connection with the Hungarian Divide