View source for Mike Hall (cyclist)

{{short description|British sport cyclist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Mike Hall
| image              = TCR-2015 Mike Hall.jpg
| caption            = Hall before the 2015 Transcontinental Race at [[Geraardsbergen]], Belgium
| alt                = Mike Hall
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1981|06|04|df=yes}}<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|title=Cyclist wins round-the-world race in record time|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/04/cyclist-wins-round-world-race|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 June 2012 |publisher=Guardian News and Media Ltd|accessdate=30 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220143647/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/04/cyclist-wins-round-world-race |archive-date=December 20, 2019}}</ref>
| birth_place        = [[Harrogate]], United Kingdom<ref name=guardian/>
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2017|03|31|1981|06|04|df=yes}}
| death_place        = near [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory|ACT]], Australia
| nationality        = British
| occupation         = Bicycle race organiser and engineer<ref>{{cite web|last1=John|first1=Timothy|title=Adventurous spirits: Mike Hall, Ed Pickup, and the Trans Am bike race|url=http://roadcyclinguk.com/longform/adventure-cycling#6r1sbveT7h9iZZul.97|website=Road Cycling UK|publisher=MPORA Pure Action Sports|accessdate=2 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209035450/https://roadcyclinguk.com/longform/adventure-cycling |archive-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref>
| known_for          = Winner of multiple ultra-distance, self-supported bicycle races and organiser of the [[Transcontinental Race]]
}}
'''Michael Richard Hall''' (4 June 1981&nbsp;– 31 March 2017) was a British cyclist and race organiser who specialised in self-supported [[ultra-distance cycling]] races. In 2012, he won the inaugural World Cycle Race. In 2013 and 2016, he won the [[Tour Divide]] ultra-endurance [[Mountain bike racing|mountain bike race]] across the [[Rocky Mountains]] in Canada and the United States. In 2014, he won the inaugural [[Trans Am Bike Race]], a road-based event from the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] coast to the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast in the United States. From 2013, he was the principal organiser of the [[Transcontinental Race]], an event similar to the TransAm Bicycle Race, but that traverses Europe. Michael Hall was also featured in the cycling film ''Inspired to Ride'' a film directed by Mike Dion.
Hall died after being struck by a car, just south of Canberra, during the inaugural [[Indian Pacific Wheel Race]] across Australia, on 31 March 2017, after covering just over 5,000&nbsp;km of the 5,500&nbsp;km distance.
==Race results==
Hall started racing mountain bikes as a teenager, but became more serious in 2009 (aged 28) when he started competing in [[24 hour mountain bike races]].<ref name=profile>{{cite web | last1=Betchenko | first1=Neil | title=Profiles: Mike Hall | url=http://bikepackersmagazine.com/mike-hall/ | website=bikepackersmagazine.com | accessdate=30 December 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807115819/http://bikepackersmagazine.com/mike-hall/ | archive-date=7 August 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> His first ultra-distance self-supported race was the [[Tour Divide]] in 2011. While riding in the top 10, he acquired a knee injury, but still finished the race.<ref>{{cite web|title=2013 Tour Divide Race Leader Mike Hall|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G9qbSA5frU|website=YouTube| date=28 June 2013 |accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> He then won a major ultra-distance event in 4 of the next 5 years:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Year !! Event !! Position !! Time
|-
| 2011<ref>{{cite web|title=Wild fires and wild dogs|url=http://tourdivide.org/blog2010/wild_fires_and_wild_dogs|website=tourdivide.org|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tour Divide 21011 Live Tracker|url=http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide11|website=trackleaders.com|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> || Tour Divide || 11th || 19 days 8 hours 47 mins
|-
| 2012<ref name=world>{{cite web|last1=Stevenson|first1=John|title=Mike Hall smashes round-the-world record in a time of 91 days, 18 hours|url=http://road.cc/content/news/59544-mike-hall-smashes-round-world-record-time-91-days-18-hours
|website=road.cc|date=4 June 2012 |publisher=Farrelly Atkinson Limited|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> || World Cycle Race || 1st || 91 days 18 hours
|-
| 2013<ref name=2013divide>{{cite web|last1=Barth|first1=Sarah|title=Mike Hall completes Tour Divide in record time - but misses out on the official title|url=http://road.cc/content/news/86560-mike-hall-completes-tour-divide-record-time-misses-out-official-title
|website=road.cc|date=30 June 2013 |publisher=Farrelly Atkinson Limited|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> || Tour Divide || 1st  || 14 days 11 hours 55 mins
|-
| 2014<ref>{{cite web|last1=MacMichael|first1=Simon|title=Britain's Mike Hall wins Trans Am Bike Race|url=http://road.cc/content/news/121817-britains-mike-hall-wins-trans-am-bike-race|website=road.cc|date=25 June 2014 |publisher=Farrelly Atkinson Limited|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=transam>{{cite web|title=Results|url=http://transambikerace.com/results/|website=TransAm Bicycle Race|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> || TransAm Bicycle Race || 1st  || 17 days 16 hours 17 mins
|-
|2016<ref name=2016divide>{{cite web|last1=Bowden|first1=Alex|title=Mike Hall completes Tour Divide in record time – and this time keeps the record|url=http://road.cc/content/news/194840-mike-hall-completes-tour-divide-record-time-%E2%80%93-and-time-keeps-record|website=road.cc|publisher=Farrelly Atkinson Limited|accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref>
|Tour Divide
|1st
|13 days 22 hours 51 mins
|}
The 91 days and 18 hours for the 2012 World Cycle Race does not include transfer and flight times, which is how [[Guinness World Records]] measured it at the time, and this was faster than the current [[around the world cycling record]],<ref name=world/> but his attempt was never ratified by Guinness. He completed the 2013 [[Tour Divide]] in a time faster than the current record, but did not qualify for the record due to the route being altered that year to avoid forest fires.<ref name=2013divide/> In the 2016 [[Tour Divide]], he beat the record and rode the complete, official route.<ref name=2016divide/> After three editions of the [[Trans Am Bike Race]], the time that Hall set in the inaugural edition was broken by Evan Deutsch in 2017.<ref name=transam/> Hall was killed while riding in second place in the 2017 Indian Pacific Wheel Race, having completed more than 5,000&nbsp;km of the almost 5,500&nbsp;km race.<ref name=ipwr>{{cite web|title=World ultra-distance cycling champion Mike Hall killed in Indian Pacific Wheel Race|url=http://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/grave-fears-after-indian-pacific-wheel-race-cyclist-killed-in-crash-on-monaro-highway/news-story/5fb36641fd5c852d5b611c84d5f95737|website=News.com.au|publisher=News Corp Australia Network|accessdate=31 March 2017}}</ref>
==Race organisation==
[[File:TCR-2014 Finishers-Party.JPG|thumb|right|Finish party for the 2014 TCR, with Mike Hall on the microphone]]
In 2013, Hall founded the [[Transcontinental Race]] (TCR) and was the main organiser until he died in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last1=MacMichael|first1=Simon|title=Tributes paid to British ultracyclist Mike Hall following his death today during Indian Pacific Wheel Race|url=http://road.cc/content/news/220122-tributes-paid-british-ultracyclist-mike-hall-following-his-death-today-during|website=road.cc|date=31 March 2017 |publisher=Farrelly Atkinson Limited|accessdate=5 April 2017}}</ref> The TCR is an annual, self-supported, ultra-distance bicycle race across [[Europe]]. The TCR has no set route except that the riders must pass several intermediate checkpoints at iconic locations, which vary every year. The distance has varied between 3,200 and 4,200&nbsp;km, and has crossed the continent on different routes approximately between the English Channel and the Mediterranean/Black Sea. The race has grown rapidly from having 30 people start the first edition in 2013 to receiving more than 1,000 applications for the 350 places available for the fourth edition in 2016.
When Hall was asked about his motivation for setting up the TCR he said "there was a demand growing for both a European based ultra on a similar scale to [[Race Across America]], and also an unsupported alternative to the race".<ref name=profile/>
Hall also organised Valleycat rides. These were small events near his home in Wales where people, primarily from the Transcontinental Race community, met, went bikepacking and rode an ultra-distance (200–400&nbsp;km) [[Alleycat race|Alleycat-style race]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thurston|first1=Jack|title=Pushing the limits|date=29 July 2016 |url=http://thebikeshow.net/pushing-the-limits|publisher=Resonance FM|accessdate=5 April 2017}}</ref> The first Valleycat took place in autumn 2015 and helped to raise money for the Newborns Vietnam charity.
==Other work==
A feature-length documentary, called ''Inspired to Ride'' was made about the 2014 [[Trans Am Bike Race]], which Hall won.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://watch.inspiredtoride.it|title=Inspired to Ride|publisher=inspiredtoride.it|accessdate=5 April 2017}}</ref> In addition to several interviews during the race, the documentary included a section where Hall was interviewed and filmed riding around where he lived in [[South Wales]], UK.
Hall helped to raise money for the charity Newborns Vietnam, a UK-based charity that aims to "improve access to and quality of newborn care in the poorest rural areas" of Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newbornsvietnam.org/|title=Newborns Vietnam - Make a Difference to Newborns in Vietnam|publisher=newbornsvietnam.org|accessdate=5 April 2017}}</ref> Hall asked people to donate to the charity in honor of him doing the 2012 World Cycle Race.<ref name=guardian/> In 2013<ref>{{cite web|last1=Barth|first1=Sarah|title=Only 7 places left for Vietnam Cycle A Difference trip|url=http://road.cc/content/news/63624-only-7-places-left-vietnam-cycle-difference-trip
|website=road.cc|date=19 August 2012 |publisher=Farrelly Atkinson Limited|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Pleasance|first1=Chris|title=Round the world in 91 days: cyclist rides into record books|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/round-the-world-in-91-days-cyclist-rides-into-record-books-7815154.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/round-the-world-in-91-days-cyclist-rides-into-record-books-7815154.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live
|website=independent.co.uk|date=4 June 2012 |publisher=Independent Digital News and Media Ltd|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> and 2015<ref>{{cite web|title=World's renowned cyclist to lead 1,500km race in Vietnam|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-06/17/c_134335146.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915083045/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-06/17/c_134335146.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 September 2016|website=english.news.cn|publisher=Xinhua|accessdate=30 December 2015}}</ref> he led a group of cyclists (with [[Juliana Buhring]] in 2015) in the Vietnam Challenge Ride organised by Cycle A Difference that also raised money for Newborns Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cycle-a-difference.com/vietnam-challenge-ride-november-2015/|title=Vietnam Challenge Ride, November 2015 - Cycle a Difference|publisher=cycle-a-difference.com|accessdate=5 April 2017|archive-date=20 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820024538/http://www.cycle-a-difference.com/vietnam-challenge-ride-november-2015/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Death and legacy ==
Hall died after being struck by a car during the [[Indian Pacific Wheel Race]] from Fremantle to Sydney, on 31 March 2017. At the time he was placed second in the race and had covered 5,024&nbsp;km. He was killed just before dawn on the [[Monaro Highway]], at the intersection of the Monaro Highway and Williamsdale Road,<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/champion-cyclist-mike-hall-killed-in-accident-during-indian-pacific-wheel-race-20170330-gvaj79.html Champion cyclist Mike Hall killed in accident during Indian Pacific Wheel Race], [[The Sydney Morning Herald]], 31 March 2017</ref> on the outskirts of [[Canberra]] at approximately 6:20&nbsp;a.m.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-31/cyclist-killed-on-road-south-of-canberra/8403812 Cyclist in Indian Pacific Wheel Race from Fremantle to Sydney killed in pre-dawn crash outside Canberra], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]], 31 March 2017</ref><ref>[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8OdPAnUIAY8a2e.jpg:large Media Release - Mike Hall], [[Indian Pacific Wheel Race]], 31 March 2017</ref><ref name=ipwr/> By 3 April a fund raising page, set up after his death, had raised over £70,000 for Hall's family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/over-70000-raised-cover-cost-12838773|title=£70k raised for partner of ultracyclist Mike Hall killed in Australia|first=Oliver|last=Milne|date=3 April 2017|publisher=walesonline.co.uk|accessdate=5 April 2017}}</ref> His death was ruled avoidable by the coroner, and road safety improvements in the area have been suggested.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-28/cyclist-mike-hall-death-avoidable-canberra-coroner-finds/10857010|title=Death of 'gentle giant' Mike Hall could have been avoided, coroner finds|first=Elizabeth|last=Byrne|date=February 28, 2019|website=ABC News}}</ref>
A memorial service was held in Harrogate on 2 May 2017.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Road.cc |url=http://road.cc/content/news/221466-mike-halls-family-invite-cyclists-join-them-celebration-his-life-harrogate-next |last=MacMichael |first=Simon |date=2017-04-24 |title=Mike Hall's family invite cyclists to join them at celebration of his life in Harrogate next week }}</ref> Since June 2018, a series of [[Audax UK]] events have been held in [[Mid Wales]] titled "This is not a tour" in memory of Hall.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Road.cc|url= http://road.cc/content/news/229128-audax-event-wales-next-june-memory-mike-hall | title=Audax event in Wales next June in memory of Mike Hall |date=2017-09-11 |last=MacMichael |first=Simon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Audax |title=This is Not a Tour |url=http://tinat-cymru.com/ |website=This is not a tour |publisher=Audax UK |accessdate=2024-11-13}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Mike}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in the Australian Capital Territory]]
[[Category:English male cyclists]]
[[Category:British male cyclists]]
[[Category:English philanthropists]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Harrogate]]
[[Category:Cyclists who died while racing]]
[[Category:Sport deaths in Australia]]
[[Category:Ultra-distance cyclists]]
[[Category:20th-century British philanthropists]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]