Hometown: Kenosha, Wisconsin

Hugh Smith’s entry into cycling was practical before it was competitive—he started riding simply to get to and from class. At the same time, he picked up swimming and running for exercise, which naturally led him down the triathlon path. Wanting to sharpen his bike handling, he joined his college cycling team… and that’s when racing entered the picture.

Hugh has been cycling for two years and racing for a year and a half, but his relationship with bikes goes back much further. After a mountain biking accident at age 11, he stepped away from riding for a full decade. Now he’s back—and making up for lost time.

He thrives across nearly every human-powered metric, from crit racing and triathlons to running, and enjoys the challenge of pushing fitness, speed, and skill in multiple disciplines. Variety isn’t a distraction for Hugh—it’s the point.

Looking ahead to 2026, Hugh has big targets: race his first Half Ironman, win a crit, and break 20 minutes in the 5K. His mindset is anchored by a simple truth—quitting is always an option, but living with it isn’t.

Fun fact: Cleopatra was born closer to the first iPhone than to the construction of the pyramids.

Favorite quote: “You can quit if you want, and no one will care. But you will know the rest of your life.” — John Collins