The first ADV Cannonball Rally reimagined the legendary Cannonball Run for the adventure motorcycle set. Forty riders spent eight days traversing 3,500 miles from North Carolina to Los Angeles, competing for glory while building camaraderie across challenging terrain, unpredictable weather, and unforgettable moments on two wheels.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the premise of a Cannonball Run: A blast from the United States’ east coast to the west coast via roads in a vehicle.
While it’s often thought of as an illegal underground as-fast-as-you-can-go torrent, the ADV Cannonball Motorcycle Rally, the brainchild of moto enthusiast, Aaron Pufal, took the spirit of a Cannonball Run, but made it totally legal, well organized, and held it on pavement and dirt roads with entrants not in cars, but on motorcycles.
Some 40 riders showed up to North Carolina’s Outer Banks for the inaugural ADV Cannonball Rally on October 6, 2025. The final destination?
In true Cannonball Run style, the Portofino Hotel in Los Angeles—the customary finish for a Cannonball attempt. It would take most riders eight days to get there.
ADV Cannonball competitors ranged in age from their 30s into their 70s. They rode a variety of motorcycles, including BMW R1250 GSAs, a couple of BMW R 1300 RTs, Harley-Davidson Pan Americas, a Can-Am Canyon three-wheeler, a Suzuki DR650, even a Honda CBX and a 900-pound Indian Bagger.
What is the ADV Cannonball Rally?
The ADV Cannonball Rally is a competitive cross-country checkpoint rally that attracts riders aiming for victory, though many participate for the well-organized adventure. Points are automatically earned and calculated through the custom Rally smartphone app.
Competitors navigated over a hundred checkpoints on paved roads and optional off-pavement sections. In the spirit of Cannonball, bonus points earned daily for those vying for the overall winner’s trophy.
While there were only a set of steak knives for second place, many participants focused on either the Checkpoint Crusher award for completing all paved checkpoints or the Rough Rider award for collecting all optional dirt road checkpoints.
Every rider who finished the rally received a well-deserved rally medal. The 2025 running was the rally’s first.
How’d It Go?
Over the course of eight days, the group covered more than 3,500 miles across 10 mostly southern states, spending 6–12 hours riding each day. Each evening, participants shared stories of the road at the official rally hotel.
Family members and rally enthusiasts closely monitored the competitors’ progress through real-time tracking and a leaderboard page.
By the end of day three, it was evident that only a few riders were in the running for the overall winners’ trophy. The rest of the group enjoyed the experience, pursuing individual goals, appreciating the motorcycle route.
On the final day, the weather did not cooperate. In fact, it brought flash flood warnings, high winds, and rockslides. “But this didn’t hinder the almost comical Le Mans start,” said Aaron.
In fact, he said laughter filled the air as rider #12 insisted on hopping on one leg to reach his bike after taking a spill in a mudslide near Los Alamos.
The Finish Line
At the Cannonball monument and the rally finish line at the Portofino Hotel in LA, family members surprised some riders. Despite the rain, the competitors, volunteers, and organizers remained high.
Taylor Lawson, host of the ADV Cannonball Podcast, flew in from Europe to officiate the awards banquet. A recap of the awards banquet can be heard in Season 4, Episode 1 of the ADV Cannonball Rally Podcast.
Since the event’s completion, a film about the ADV Cannonball Rally debuted on YouTube. Done by rider #5, Robert Baldinger, the film premiered in Sweden at a dealer-sponsored red-carpet event on November 14, 2025.
While the ADV Cannonball Rally may not be for everyone, all who finished did so with pride, a sense of accomplishment, and camaraderie. Each rider had a unique reason for entering and completing the rally.
The overall winner, Hunter Wray, who rode a BMW F900GSA, mentioned wanting a trophy to place next to his wife’s on the family mantle. One gentleman who survived heart surgery the previous year aimed to memorialize that victory with a Cannonball triumph.
Several riders simply wanted to be part of a semi-competitive rally, rack up miles, and connect with new riding buddies. Needless to say, those missions were accomplished.
The 2026 Rally
“Each year, the route will change, but it will always be a ‘Cannonball.’ So this means it will always be coast to coast,” Aaron said. He also mentioned it could go into Canada or Mexico, too.
In fact, the North American 2026 rally route will be longer and has been described as more challenging than 2025. Despite this, 10 finishers immediately signed up at the end of the 2025 rally for the 2026 event before heading home.
This includes “The Waz,” who is in his 60s, and “Iron Man” Mark, who broke his leg during the Rally and wrote off his BMW R1300GSA but still reached the finish line with a smile.
Aaron says they’re immensely proud of everyone who completed this inaugural event. “We have made some regulatory revisions and are committed to improving the rally each year,” he said.
The event organizers have even shipped bikes to Europe from the port of Los Angeles to scout routes for a new 2027 European ADV Cannonball Rally.
Final results and awards, the movie trailer, and more photos can be found on the ADV Cannonball home page.
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