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After eight days and a self-supported ride across the continent, the 2026 ADV Cannonball Rally ended in Monterey with a near photo finish: Sean Ross took the win by a narrow 14-point margin. The coast-to-coast challenge ran from Plymouth Rock to Monterey, testing navigation, endurance and bike preparation without any support crews.
Rally at a glance
The event kicked off on September 16 in Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, and closed on September 23 in Monterey, California. Organizers set a course of eight riding days, eight overnight stops and roughly 100 GPS checkpoints.
The field sold out and had a waitlist. In total, 108 riders registered, 75 started the route, and 64 reached the Pacific finish. Competitors represented 26 U.S. states as well as Canada, Norway and England. Crucially, no one had a sweep truck or support crew; everyone was fully self-supported.
The winner: steady, precise and fast
North Carolina rider Sean Ross took first place aboard a BMW R1250GSA displaying number 3, finishing with 1,122 points. He earned the early-arrival bonus on two days and missed only four checkpoints across the eight-day course. Ross crossed the Monterey finish line at 4:03 p.m., 57 minutes before scoring closed.
His victory came from consistent pace, careful navigation and methodical preparation rather than dramatic on-road stunts. Organizers noted he applied lessons from the previous year and prioritized steady progress over spectacle.
Second place and the Steak Knives
Second place — and the event’s traditional prize for runner-up, the so-called Steak Knives — went to Josh Skidmore of Utah, who scored 1,108 points. Skidmore rode much of the final day within seconds of Ross before a navigation error in the California coastal hills proved costly.
He missed three ten-point checkpoints, including the finish line; any two of those missed checks would have been enough to secure the overall win. Skidmore arrived after the cutoff time, aware of what had gone wrong, and remained composed at the finish.
Final day challenges
The rally’s last afternoon was especially difficult. A wildfire in the coastal hills made at least one checkpoint unreachable and forced many riders to alter their plans. That disruption compounded the pressure of late-stage navigation and timing for several competitors.
Across the event, moments of skill and resilience stood out as riders coped with long days, changing terrain and limited external help. The finishers’ list reflects both endurance and careful route choices under pressure.
