Santos Fat Tire Festival 2025

A firsthand look at the Santos Fat Tire 50 in Ocala, Florida—one of the biggest endurance mountain bike races in the state. Follow along as I settle in, soak up the atmosphere, and gear up for a weekend of riding, camping, and community. More updates coming soon!
MTB
Adventure
Author

Mark

Published

March 6, 2025

Santos Fat Tire 50 - 2025: The Calm Before the Ride

Settling in at Santos

It’s Thursday evening, and I’m officially set up here at the Santos Fat Tire 50 in Ocala, Florida. People are starting to crack open beers, even though the main event is still a couple of days away. Right now, I’m getting settled in, cooking some food, and relaxing.

The campsite is starting to get packed. About 500 tents, RVs and camper vans are here, and that means at least double that number of people camping out.

What’s Coming

For those who don’t know, the Santos Fat Tire 50 is one of Florida’s biggest endurance mountain bike events. We will be doing a 50-mile course through the Santos trails, known for their fast, flowy singletrack, technical sections, and punchy climbs. It’s more than a race, though. People are camping out, grilling, drinking beers, cooking breakfast, and more. You don’t have to be a racer to enjoy this.

A couple of years ago I did this race and it took me about 5.5 hours to complete. Many people just want to say they finished it and that’s the accomplishment. Don’t think of this as a legit race if you don’t want to.

I’ll be adding more updates and photos over the next few days.

Updates Coming Soon…

There were dozens of van setups, trucks with rooftop tents, and all kinds of creative rigs to check out. I’ll try and get some more photos. it was like a showcase of adventure ready builds. It was also great to see so many people coming in with their groups. The MTB community is pretty awesome.