Poles celebrated November 11 with a cycling "Everest" in Spain. Three riders completed the full 8,848 meters despite the rain and wind during the night.

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Nine Polish cyclists, including Polish champions and the Polish ultra-cycling record holder, climbed a total of 47,302 meters during the 2026 Pego Everesting Challenge on the Costa Blanca. The challenge supports an animal shelter; the fundraiser runs through November 30

Pego (Spain), November 12, 2026. On Independence Day at 7:07 a.m., nine cyclists from Poland set off from the PEGO.CC cycling base in Pego on the Costa Blanca. The goal: Everesting—climbing the same hill over and over again until the total elevation gain equals the height of Mount Everest. On the Port de la Vall d’Ebo (7.8 km, 446 m elevation gain), this means 20 ascents and 313 km in a single attempt, day and night.

Three riders completed the full course. Kamil Sopyła finished the 20th climb at 4:26 a.m. Damian Pazikowski, a multiple Polish record holder in ultra-cycling, reached the summit at 6:08 a.m., 23 hours after the start, and added one more climb: 21 climbs, 328 km, and 9,366 m. Piotr Bąk finished at 7:16 a.m., after 24 hours and 9 minutes. Three people completed half the challenge (10 climbs, 4,460 m), and three more completed a quarter of it (5 climbs, 2,230 m).

The night was the hardest part. After midnight, a storm front brought rain and wind to Pego. The wet asphalt made the road less safe, and each lap took a much greater toll on the riders, who already had over 6,000 meters of elevation gain under their belts. This is evident in the live coverage data: descents that took about ten minutes during the day stretched to fifteen.

Well-known names in Polish cycling took to the starting line: Polish MTB marathon champion Barbara Borowiecka, Polish MTB marathon champions Piotr Truszczyński (Masters 1) and Jan Czapliński, and Damian Pazikowski. Truszczyński recorded the fastest time of the day: 19 minutes and 24 seconds.

On each loop, the riders had full support: meals prepared on-site, technical service, physical therapy, medical care, and mental support. The challenge could be followed live: each rider’s position, the number of climbs, and the elevation gain. All the data, climb by climb, is still available at https://pego.cc/live/

“During the day, it was a athletic challenge. At night, in the rain and wind, it was above all a matter of mental strength and common sense. We’re proud of all nine of them,” says Robert Kalandyk of PEGO.CC, the challenge’s organizer.

The challenge is for charity: a fundraiser for APROP, an animal shelter in Pego, which plans to undergo renovations in 2027. The fundraiser runs through November 30; so far, 330 euros have been raised out of the planned 3,000. The organizers’ proposal is simple: 1 cent for every meter climbed, meaning 22, 44, or 88 euros. Donations: https://whydonate.com/fundraising/pego-cycling-club

By the numbers:

9 competitors
3 full Everestings
106 entries
47,302 m of elevation gain (more than five Mount Everests)
1,658 km
Fastest entry: 7:24 p.m.
Longest run: 24 h 09 min

Contact and Additional Information: PEGO.CC is a cycling base in Pego on the Costa Blanca, run by the Pego Cycling Club. From October through April, it welcomes cyclists from all over Europe.

Media Contact: Robert Kalandyk, pego@pego.cc, WhatsApp +34 961 167 350.
We will send additional information, statements, and high-resolution photos in writing.

Photos in the attachment, for publication with the caption “PEGO.CC”: