‘Tis the season — registration season that’s! If you have not deliberate out your 2025 biking season but, you’d finest get to it as a result of the most important gravel occasions are promoting out quick.
To make issues a bit of simpler on you, you will discover a few of the largest occasions of the gravel calendar, their occasion dates and registration particulars beneath.
Prepare, set, register!
Occasions in North America
Unbound Gravel
Registration: Unbound is a lottery-only occasion. The lottery for all distances opens November 1 and stays open by means of the fifteenth. The lottery winners can be notified on November 21.
Occasion date: Might 29 – June 1, 2025
Location: Emporia, Kansas
Unbound Gravel is a mass-start occasion that takes place within the Tallgrass Prairie and Flint Hills round Emporia, Kansas, in the midst of the USA. With 5 race distances on provide and hundreds of attendees, Unbound has develop into the world’s marquee gravel occasion.
The well-known 200-mile course is a real check of endurance, self-sufficiency and tools. Along with needing to gas oneself for 11+ hours of driving, the sharp flint rocks are infamous for slicing tires and dashing podium aspirations. Alongside the way in which, riders additionally must take care of the undulating terrain, uncovered sun-baked roads, headwinds and, if in any respect moist, tire-sucking mud.
For these searching for the final word problem, there’s the 350-mile choice referred to as the XL. There are additionally 25-mile, 50-mile, and 100-mile choices.
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Because of excessive demand, the occasion organisers can not accommodate everybody who needs to take part. Due to this fact, a random choice course of determines who can be allowed to take part within the 2025 occasion. When registration opens, you are entered right into a lottery. These chosen to take part in Unbound 2025 can be notified on November 21.
SBT GRVL
Registration: To open January 1, 2025
Occasion Date: June 28-29, 2025
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
It was rocky there for a bit, however SBT GRVL can be again in 2025, having secured the mandatory permits for a totally redesigned occasion.
The 2025 version will now be break up into two distinct occasions: a non-competitive experience round Steamboat Springs on Saturday and a UCI-style circuit race on Sunday. The latter will happen in Hayden and have managed roads, course marshals from USAC, and a rolling police enclosure to make sure a secure and aggressive surroundings for members.
Having been moved from August to June, the two-day occasion will now begin with a non-competitive experience on Saturday, providing members three programs of various lengths much like the routes of previous editions of SBT GRVL. It won’t function outcomes, podiums or prizes for any of the distances or classes. Those that cross the end line first can have bragging rights alone.
The aggressive portion of the race will begin Sunday morning in close by Hayden, Colorado. The race can have three classes – professional males, professional ladies and novice races – every with their very own begin instances and their very own rolling enclosures.
The race will happen on a 37-mile loop with most of the roads featured on the 2024 SBT GRVL course’s southwest portion. The professional males and professional ladies will full the loop 3 times, and the novice racers twice.
(Picture credit score: Specialised)
The Belgian Waffle Trip Sequence
BWR Arizona: Registration open
Occasion date: March 1, 2025
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
BWR California: Registration open
Occasion date: April 26-27, 2025
Location: San Marcos, CA
BWR Utah: Registration open
Occasion date: Might 24, 2025
Location: Cedar Metropolis, UT
BWR Montana: Registration open
Occasion date: June 29, 205
Location: Bozeman, MT
BWR Monterey: Registration open
Occasion date: August 2, 2025
Location: Monterey, CA
The Belgian Waffle Trip is now getting into its thirteenth season, and is extra well-liked than ever earlier than with six occasions throughout North America.
When Michael Marckx created the unique Belgian Waffle Trip in 2011 in San Diego, California, he by no means aimed for it to be a gravel race. He modeled the race after the spirit of the Belgian Spring monuments, which means lengthy distances and hard, technical terrain. In lieu of cobblestones, nonetheless, Marckx routed his members over grime sectors.
Because the years went on, Marckx and his members embraced more and more technical and off-road terrain. At the moment, BWR is a collection consisting of 5 occasions and is fiercely contested by professional street and gravel racers alike.
There are a number of race distances on provide, however all promise loads of “struggling over sinuous, bone grinding roads fraught with arduous climbs, mud, choking mud, leg-numbing sleet or warmth and winds.”
Mid South
Registration: Registration open
Occasion Date: March 14-15, 2025
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Mid South, previously generally known as Land Run, Is preparing for its thirteenth version, and is by many thought of to be the gravel season opener.
1000’s of racers make the trek to the distant location of Stillwater, Oklahoma, to contest the notorious crimson clay roads in both the 50-mile or 100-mile race.
Whereas the racing inside the peloton is fierce, maybe the most important competitors, nonetheless, comes from the climate and the ensuing street situations. Yearly, the race is outlined by the state of Oklahoma’s crimson grime. If dry, the crimson roads are exhausting packed and quick. If moist, the clay turns to thick, soul-sucking mud that’s barely rideable and is understood to destroy many a drivetrain.
The gravel races is held along side a 50K extremely path working occasion and people with power to burn can signal as much as do “the double”: a 50K working race adopted by a 100-mile gravel bike race the next day.
(Picture credit score: 241 Pictures)
Rebecca’s Non-public Idaho
Registration: Open
Occasion Date: Labor Day Weekend, beginning Thursday, August 28, 2025
Location: Ketchum, Idaho
Rebecca’s Non-public Idaho is the brainchild of celebrated endurance racer Rebecca Rusch. Nicknamed “The Queen of Ache”, Rusch an expert athlete, entrepreneur, filmmaker, writer, philanthropist and firefighter. She’s acquired seven world champion mountain bike titles to her identify together with a protracted checklist of nationwide and world titles in whitewater rafting, journey racing, orienteering and cross-country snowboarding.
But, regardless of being a racer at coronary heart, Rusch’s most important cause behind launching her Rebecca’s Non-public Idaho gravel occasion in 2013 is showcasing her chosen residence in central Idaho many, many miles of scenic, unpaved roads.
A difficult occasion, RPI is a race for some, a experience for others and an amazing occasion for everybody. It is well-recognized as one of many world’s largest and hottest gravel biking races.
The occasion consists of a four-day Gravel stage race and several other one-day gravel grinders ranging between 18 and 100 miles.
Barry Roubaix
Registration: Open November 9, 2024
Occasion Date: April 12, 2025
Location: Barry County, Hastings, MI
The Barry Roubaix is among the oldest gravel races in America and was began lengthy earlier than the gravel identify had even taken maintain.
“There’s numerous hypotheticals on the market so far as what actually began ‘gravel’ racing within the space,” Scott TenCate, Barry Roubaix Co-Race Director, instructed Biking Weekly.
“However right here in Michigan we have now very chilly winters and coming into the spring, numerous the mountain bikers could not experience the native trails, as a result of we had the freeze thaw that was occurring. And they also had been discovering options to having the ability to experience single observe and from the tales that I’ve heard, it form of began emigrate in direction of ‘Let’s experience some grime, gravel, seasonal roads’…that form of stuff.”
These days, the Barry Roubaix is among the many largest gravel races on this planet with 4,000 cyclists traversing the rolling Michigan terrain yearly.
The Barry Roubaix provides 4 course choices ranging between 18 and 100 miles, $40,000 in awards money and prizes and an enormous afterparty for all.
GRASSHOPPER ADVENTURE SERIES
Low Hole: registration is open
Occasion date: Jan. 26, 2025
Location: Ukiah, California
Huffmaster: registration is open
Occasion date: Feb. 24, 2025
Location: Maxwell, California
Ukiah-Mendo Gravel Epic: registration is open
Occasion date: April 27, 2025
Location: Ukiah, California
King Ridge: registration is open
Occasion Date: Might 10, 2025
Location: Duncans Mills, California
The Grasshopper Journey Sequence in 2024 will mark the twenty sixth 12 months of this California-based collection’ existence. The group describes its “races” as much less racing, more difficult your self on some robust programs in foothills and mountains of Northern California. Nonetheless, although, there are podiums for age group classes and competitors is inspired.
When you can join any of those races as a one-off journey, for those who’re feeling aggressive, you possibly can race the entire collection for factors and see who earns the title of Hopper Tremendous Hero King of the Universe (sure, that’s actually the title) on the finish of all of it.
GRAVEL LOCOS
Registration: registration is open
Occasion Date: Might 17, 2025
Location: Hico, Texas
The official slogan of Hico, Texas is “The place everyone is any individual!” And Gravel Locos may very well be your very personal probability to develop into a “any individual” within the Lone Star State. Gravel Locos boasts 30-, 60-, 100- and 150-mile routes – and for individuals who suppose Texas is flat, suppose once more. The 30-mile route has 1,500 ft of climbing and the 150-mile course has a whopping 7,000 ft of acquire.
There aren’t any cutoff instances at Gravel Locos, however the occasion website reminds athletes that for those who don’t suppose you possibly can return earlier than sundown, it’s your job to hold lights and provides wanted for nighttime driving.
Occasions exterior North America
(Picture credit score: Gravel Earth Sequence)
THE TRAKA
Registration: registration is open however filling up quick
Occasion Date: April 30, 2025
Location: Girona, Spain
In 2025, Spain’s premier gravel race, The Traka, will provide a 100k, 200k and 360k route choice. The occasion could also be promoted on its web site as ‘a non-competitive bike experience whose values are ethics, camaraderie and respect for the surroundings,’ however with the attendance of prime racers, there is no doubt that Traka is Europe’s main gravel race.
Girona, recognized for its professional bicycle owner residents and picturesque landscapes, is a perfect backdrop for this occasion. It has grown steadily in recognition because of its difficult programs and top-tier opponents.
DIRTY REIVER
Registration: Opens December 1, 2024
Occasion Date: April 25-27, 2025
Location: Kielder Forest, UK
UK’s reply to American gravel racing comes within the type of the Soiled Reiver. Now in its tenth 12 months, the Soiled Reiver is the most important gravel occasion within the UK and held within the Kielder and Wark Forest on the border of England and Scotland.
Massive forests, plenty of hills and countless ok’s of unpaved trails make the proper location for a gravel occasion, which takes its members to new vistas and areas of the wooded area 12 months after 12 months.
The mass-start occasion provides challenges of three lengths, 65km, 130km or 200km —all held solely off-pavement.
Grinduro – Worldwide
Grinduro Germany: registration just isn’t but open
Occasion date: Might 22-25, 2025
Location: Hellenthal, Eifel
Grinduro California: registration just isn’t but open
Occasion date: September 11-14, 2025
Location: Quincy, CA
Grinduro Pennsylvania: registration just isn’t but open
Occasion date: June 6-8, 2025
Location: Forksville, Sullivan County
Grinduro France: registration just isn’t but open
Occasion date: June 27-29
Location: Xonrupt-Longemer
Grinduro Italy: registration just isn’t but open
Occasion date: Sept 26-28
Location: Tuscany
Grinduro Japan: registration not but open
Occasion Date: October 17
Location: Hakuba, Japan
Began in Quincy, California, in 2015, Grinduro is among the most unusual racing codecs one can do on a (gravel) bike.
Briefly, Grinduro takes its format from the enduro racing of the mountain world. On this racing format, the race is made up of a number of timed downhill sectors. The switch and uphill part in between the phases don’t depend in direction of your time.
And so, Grinduro is one lengthy loop of pavement and grime, the place ending instances aren’t primarily based on general loop time, however on 4 timed segments.
Whereas the racing will be taken significantly by some, an equally huge a part of the Grinduro expertise takes place off the bike. Tenting, reside music, meals, and bike festivals are all a part of the weekend — a method that’s caught on globally. There have been Grinduro occasions in Japan, Canada, Scotland, Wales, and Germany. In 2025, Grinduro will have fun its tenth anniversary with a return to Quincy, California in September.
This gravel ribbon is a part of the FNLD gravel course
(Picture credit score: Thomas Maheux)
FNLD GRVL
Registration: Coming in January 2025
Occasion date: “Summer time” 2025
Location: Lahti, Finland
In 2022, we had the prospect to go discover a few of Finland’s gravel choices with none apart from Components 1 star Valtteri Bottas, and now you possibly can too!
Bottas, Tiffany Cromwell, Amy Charity and the crew behind SBT GRVL are taking up the world, one gravel occasion at a time. Now approaching its second 12 months, FNLD GRVL occasion will return on June 15, 2023.
FNLD GRVL is held in and round Lahti on the sting of Finnish Lake Area, simply an hour’s drive north from Helsinki. The area is outlined by greater than 55,000 lakes that dot a forest-covered plateau and likewise homes the very best level of Southern Finland, Tiirismaa, which tops out at simply 223 meters (732 ft), which means that respiration comes simply and exhausting efforts will be sustained.
