It isn't that he did it, but how that makes Chris Hopkinson's Zwift achievement stand out.
“I started cycling in 1998 when I lost my driver’s license for a short while,” explains Hopkinson, and “I found out almost immediately that I was better at long stuff.” That would be an understatement.
The father of two from the British Channel Island of Guernsey served in the 1st Gulf War, has accumulated close to 500,000 lifetime miles, and has a list of Palmares longer than your arm.
His catalog of successes includes but isn’t limited to, these ultra-accomplishments.
- Four solo RAAM (Race Across America)—Jure Robic Award winner
- NCOM 1,000 mile ITT course record—71:58 on October 25, 2014
- Two-time IRONMAN finisher
- Held 27 Ultra-Cycling World Records
- 13 WUCA (World Ultracycling Assoc.) World Titles
- 8 WUCA European Titles
After winning eight of the 48 12-hour races and 13 of the 44 24-hours races he entered, Hopkinson earned the title of UltraCyclist of Distinction and six entries in the Audax UK Hall of Fame.
Hoppo discovered Zwift in 2015 and, in 2017, set his second Zwift distance record (1st was 1,010 miles) during a mind-boggling multiday ride that lasted nearly six days as he amassed 1,952.98 miles and 50,381 feet of elevation in 116 hours, 22 minutes, and 51 seconds. He holds the present Zwift distance record achieved on his third attempt—2202 miles in 143 hrs 35 mins. The three Zwift Distance Record attempts were performed according to WUCA Indoor Trainer rules in one continuous effort without sleep.
Chris says, “Yes, I do presently hold the Zwift record, and three times is enough. I shall not be doing that again, broken or not.”
He followed that up with a Virtual Race Across Europe victory, doing 3,154 miles in 12 stages (days) with short rest periods to sleep. Chris was also the Virtual RAAM age-group victor (3,000 miles) and overall runner up in 2020.
His long hours in the saddle, welcoming disposition, and sunny demeanor ingratiate him with the community. He fittingly celebrated his 100,000th Zwift mile with his virtual friends during the DIRT 505 ride on May 20, 2023.
It was a fine sendoff for the ultra-fit Brit boarding a ferry to Italy to defend his European 24-Hour Championship. From there, he will drive to Croatia to compete in another 24-hour race and will cap it off with the UK National 24-hour championship. By the way, he trained exclusively on Zwift.
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Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
Legend! Chris H, your endurance rides are on another level! Congratulations on hitting yet another milestone. 🎊🤩😍🥳Here’s to your good health & to many more adventures on Zwift & beyond! Chapeau! (Christopher – thank you for another super article 😊👌🏽)