The Race of Kings at the 2026 Griffin King of the Hammers powered by OPTIMA Batteries delivered one of the most demanding events in King of the Hammers history, with extreme attrition, mechanical failures, and darkness ultimately limiting the field to just two official finishers after more than 14 hours of racing in Johnson Valley.
Eighty-one Ultra4 competitors took the green flag in a three-lap format that combined high-speed desert sections, the legendary Hammer Trails, and a decisive Mystery Lap revealed only days before the race. The final lap featured mostly new, highly technical rock trails that proved to be the defining challenge, eliminating much of the remaining field.
Official Results
- 1st – Randy Slawson
Slawson captured his fourth career Race of Kings victory (2013, 2015, 2021, 2026), becoming the first four-time winner in event history after surviving the longest and toughest Race of Kings to date. - 2nd – Josh Blyler
Blyler finished 23:04 behind Slawson, completing the entire course within the allotted time. - 3rd – Paul Wolff
Wolff was officially classified third, having advanced the farthest among the remaining competitors before time expired. All teams that began the third lap were assessed and ranked based on distance completed.
Slawson and Blyler were the only two competitors to finish the full course within the official time limit, underscoring the severity of the 2026 race.
Three additional teams, Aaron Smith, Max Gordon, and Pip Justice, completed the entire course after the time limit, an impressive accomplishment given the unprecedented difficulty of the Mystery Lap and late-race conditions.
Due to the extreme attrition, final classification beyond second place was determined by progression through the course within the 14-hour time limit.
The 2026 Race of Kings will be remembered as one of the toughest off-road races ever run, a true test of endurance where finishing alone was a victory.
