Australian World Cup racer completed the iconic Canyonlands loop having never ridden 90 percent of the route
Cam Jones has set a new Fastest Known Time on Utah’s White Rim Trail, completing the roughly 100-mile Canyonlands National Park loop in 5 hours, 23 minutes and 27 seconds on Tuesday, March 31.
The Australian SCOTT Sports athlete tackled the iconic route — which runs below the Island in the Sky mesa — aboard a SCOTT Spark RC World Cup, and also claimed KOMs on several key segments: White Rim White Crack Road to Musselman Arch (1:21:12), Top of Shafter to Horsethief Parking (17:47), and the Hardscrabble Climb (2:09).
What sets the effort apart is the near-total lack of course familiarity. The attempt was a last-minute detour en route to the Sea Otter Classic, and Jones had never ridden approximately 90 percent of the route before rolling out. The evening before, he rang fellow SCOTT athlete Hannah Otto — herself the women’s FKT holder on the route — to gather recon notes and talk through strategy before heading in essentially blind.
“Even before I ever came to the U.S., I’d heard the legends of the White Rim Trail,” Jones said. “It’s not only an iconic mountain bike adventure, but also a route with a deep history of FKT attempts that I’ve followed throughout my career. It’s incredibly special to see my name alongside, and ahead of, some amazing athletes. Next time, though, I’d like to slow things down a bit and take in the views.”
Otto set the women’s mark on May 2, 2025 in 6:36:51, making SCOTT the holder of both the men’s and women’s records on the course.
