In the fall of 2023, Alexandera Houchin set out on her Chumba Sendero singlespeed geared 32x23 to race 800 miles across Arizona on the National Scenic Trail. Starting at Monument 103 and racing to the Utah State Line, Alexandera had a blast racing her close friends. In a race that has broken her heart many times, she managed to finish in record time, besting her previous singlespeed record by more than two days.
After having a heartbreaking Tour Divide and a reinvigorating Colorado Trail effort, Alexandera learned that believing in herself is key to placing high in these races. As she was pedaling to the start of this year's Grand Depart, she told her friends, "I could win this thing." Even though she didn't, believing she could was the first step in even getting close.
Katya Rakhmatulina set the pace for this year's effort, taking the women's win, setting a new course record on the AZT for women, AND setting a new women's overall Triple Crown Challenge Record in the process. Alexandera proudly earned second place woman behind Katya, setting a new women's singlespeed Triple Crown Challenge Record and a new women's AZT singlespeed record.