17 February 2026
The Slush Puffer, and Other Stories from the Forest
Was 2026 really the slowest Puffer to date? Looking over 16 years of race data, we think it probably was.
2026. The Slush.
Twenty-one laps. That's what it took to win Strathpuffer 2026. In 16 years of race data — 4,189 entries, every lap timed to the second — no solo winner has ever completed fewer. 2026 could very likely be the slowest Strathpuffer ever.
The Thaw
The race started at 10am with hard-packed snow at -6°C. Then the temperature rose. By the deep night, riders were pushing through grey mush that swallowed tyres and turned every climb into a wobble along a tightrope. The slush was an equaliser no equipment choice could solve — riders went from sub-20-minute fire-road climbs to a traumatic 1hr20+ on the same climb at 4am.
Even Kyle Beattie felt the melt
Kyle's fastest lap was 46:59; his last laps crawled at 7.1 km/h — nearly two hours each. His degradation was 139%, the highest ever recorded. This wasn't just the slowest Puffer, it was the one with the most dramatic drop in pace.
Kerry MacPhee: 17 Laps. Again.
Kerry completed 17 laps for the second year running — in wildly different conditions — and was actually faster in 2026 despite conditions that slowed the male winner by seven minutes per lap. Her theory: she races a 'condition-independent zone', calibrated to her own ceiling, not the trail. Kyle races the course. Kerry races herself.
The Forest at Night
Night slows everyone — but how much depends on how alone you are. Solo riders lose ~26% of their speed at night. Pairs lose 18%. Quads 13%. Teams of eight? Just 6%. The extra 20% solos lose is accumulated fatigue with no rotation and no rest.
What the Data Says You Should Actually Do
Start slow — first-lap speed inversely correlates with total distance. Stay slow — the most durable riders hold an even pace. Push through the dusk — the highest dropout window is Saturday evening, not the 3am low; make it to sunrise and you almost certainly finish. And train for durability, not power — race-specific volume beats even the highest FTP.
So what do you predict for 2027?
Nobody knows. That's the point. 4,189 entries, 16 years, pacing models and degradation curves — and the conclusion is that the Strathpuffer isn't a race you solve. The forest will always do something you didn't expect. Trust your training. Embrace the chaos.