2026 Leaderboard: Week 8

The final stretch of the 2026 Nomad Rally is officially here, and the leaderboard is anything but settled. After four consecutive weeks with an unchanged podium, Week 8 has finally delivered a shake-up at the top. Team 117 Lucas continues to lead with 4,856 points, but their once-comfortable cushion is shrinking as the highest-value point opportunities become increasingly scarce. Making the biggest move of the week, Team 111 Potter rocketed into second place with 4,464 points after an exceptional week that included three Stewardship projects and the completion of their final Overland Stage. Team 101 Mercer, now sitting at 4,264 points after wrapping up their own final Overland Stage, slips into third—but remains well within striking distance as the rally enters its closing weeks. Week 8 also saw the true Nomad spirit of camaraderie on full display. Teams 101 and 111 joined forces for a major trail maintenance and repair project in the Eagle Ranger District of Colorado’s White River National Forest, demonstrating that even fierce competitors can work together to leave public lands better than they found them. Across the entire field, the momentum is building with just two weeks remaining in the competition. Fifteen teams have now surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, eight have crossed 2,000 points, six have broken the 3,000-point barrier, and four teams have now exceeded an impressive 4,000 points. With last week’s Wildlife Observation challenge complete, competitors now shift their focus from reading tracks and signs to mastering technical skills. This week’s featured challenge is Vehicle Recovery in the Backcountry—a timely reminder to inspect those winches, double-check recovery gear, review safe rigging practices, and be ready when the unexpected happens.