The Best Gravel Rides & Races in the U.S.
"Gravel races have created a seismic shift in reshaping the landscape of participatory cycling in the United States. Gone are the traditional racing categories and the multi-lap courses. In their place are challenging new routes over mixed terrain that cater to the bike industry's latest technology and racers' appetites for events that blend adventure with competition. These races have given birth to the passionate riding communities in areas that are decidedly off the beaten path. Spurred by a handful of visionaries, America's new bicycle races are embracing everyone with the gospel of gravel." (VeloNews May 2018)
1) Dirty Kanza (Emporia Kansas)
They say it's the "world's premiere gravel grinder" and they may be right. The ride started in 2006, and as of 2020, the Kanza is the biggest, most prestigious, and most well known gravel race in the world. The Kanza is an epic day of over 200 miles of gravel roads around Emporia, Kansas (with 25 mile, 50 mile, and 100 mile options too). The Dirty Kanza is currently attracting over3,000 riders from all over the world. Former professionals like Ted King have shown up to win this race (2016). The race has been marred by nasty mud in the past, but I've heard that slots for this race can sell it out within hours of being opened online.
(The 2018 version of the Dirty Kanza will featured a whopping 350 mile race (I'll say it again . . . 350 miles on gravel!) that starts at 4:00 pm on Friday and continues through the night, and on through the next day, and maybe through Saturday night, and maybe into Sunday. Brutal! Race organizers are branding the 350 mile race as the "DK XL." Only 34 riders were invited to try the mammoth race at its inaugural running (2018), including Rebecca Rusch. Woooooof!
(The 2018 version of the Dirty Kanza will featured a whopping 350 mile race (I'll say it again . . . 350 miles on gravel!) that starts at 4:00 pm on Friday and continues through the night, and on through the next day, and maybe through Saturday night, and maybe into Sunday. Brutal! Race organizers are branding the 350 mile race as the "DK XL." Only 34 riders were invited to try the mammoth race at its inaugural running (2018), including Rebecca Rusch. Woooooof!
2) SBT GRVL (Steamboat Springs Colorado) |
This SBT GRVL race (short for Steamboat Gravel) is a new race as of 2019, and it's already selling out in minutes! The race traverses the incredibly smooth gravel roads that roll up and down through Western Colorado. It's supposedly the "nicest" gravel in the US. The Black Course is 144 miles of gravel with 9,000+ vertical feet of climbing. The Blue Course is 103 miles with 6,300 vertical feet of climbing. The Red Course is 64 miles with 4,100 feet of climbing. Finally, the Green Course is 37 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing. Simply put, SBT GRVL is located in a beautiful corner of North America, on beautiful gravel roads, under a beautiful Colorado sky. We'd recommend that you do all you can to get in.
3) Grinduro (California & Scotland & Japan & Switzerland)
Essentially, Grinduro is the party version of the Dirty Kanza. You can do the "Grinduro Scotland" in July or the "Grinduro California" in September / October. And as of 2020, Grinduro has added events in Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, etc. They are EVERYWHERE. It's a bike race mixed with concerts, drinking, a bike show and camping. The organizers brand it as a Gravel Road Race + a Mountain Bike Style Enduro race which equals "one long loop of pavement & dirt" where your finishing time is the cumulative of four timed segments. Seems like a nice idea. I've never met anyone who didn't have a blast at Grinduro.
4) Rebecca's Private Idaho (Ketchum Idaho)
This is an incredibly scenic race owned and operated by super-nutso Rebecca Rusch who has won virtually everything there is to win in cycling. The race takes place in Ketchum Idaho sometime around Labor Day and the terrain is absolutely stunning. Rebecca has recently added a stage race component to the weekend, but the original event (which still exists) consists of the Big Potato Route of 96 miles on Sunday. Ketchum's terrain is amazing. Rebecca is super awesome. We love this event.
5) Belgian Waffle Ride (California, North Carolina, & Utah)
The Belgian Waffle Ride was born in San Diego years ago, but has added new venues for 2020 in North Carolina & Utah. Race them separtely, OR compete in what they are calling the "Triple Crown of Gravel" where the winner is the racer with the lowest cumulative time over the three races. In other words, it's a so-called Gravel Stage Race. Interesting. The races are burly, though. San Diego is 138 miles with 12,000 feet of vertical, Asheville NC is 144 miles with 12,000 feet of vertical, and Cedar City UT is 136 miles with 5,000 feet of vertical.
6) Crusher in the Tushar (Beaver Utah)
Beware . . . this one is a tough one. This race takes place annually in July in the Tushar mountains outside of Beaver, Utah. The course features 40% road and 60% dirt, but over the 70+ mile course, there is over 10,000 feet of vertical climbing. Wooooooof. Not only that, but a good portion of the day is spent above 10,000 feet. This race (like the Dirty Kanza) also attracts former Tour de France professionals (i.e. Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie, etc.). I'll be honest, "The Crusher" (as it's generally referred to) had me hallucinating & cramping & wishing that I wasn't on a bike. But I finished the difficult day in 8 hours. Not great. But I finished. And, to top it all off, I swear that I saw Bill Walton walking down Beaver's Main Street.
(Note: Longtime race organizer Burke Swindlehurst sold The Crusher to Lifetime in 2020. Lifetime also owns Dirty Kanza, and the Leadville 100).
(Note: Longtime race organizer Burke Swindlehurst sold The Crusher to Lifetime in 2020. Lifetime also owns Dirty Kanza, and the Leadville 100).
7) The Rift (Hvolsvollur Iceland)
The Rift has been on the scene for several years, and it makes the Top 10 list of Best Gravel Rides simply because of the stark landscape of Iceland. It's a 200km (125 mile) race through Iceland's lava fields. It is so named because it traverses the continental "rift" between Eurasia and North America. Admittedly, I've never done it, but the videos show racers pedaling along black lava roads with ominous clouds in the background. In short, it looks incredible! It sells out quickly, and generally takes place in the end of July.
(Hey Race Organizers! There are still three spots left in our Gravelution.com Top Ten Races. Hit us up if you think we've left you out, or if you belong in the Top Ten rather than Honorable Mentions!)
Gravel Race "Honorable Mentions"
If the aforementioned behemoth gravel races aren't your cup of tea, look no further than these lower-key, but still epic, gravel rides and races all over the continental United States.
The Big Sugar (Bentonville Arkansas)
If ya ain't done heard of Bentonville, then ya ain't done been payin' attention. Bentonville is quickly becoming THE cycling hub of the US. The mountain bike scene there is second-to-none. And now, Lifetime (owners of Leadville 100, Dirty Kanza, and Crusher in the Tushar) are launching the Big Sugar NWA Gravel in 2020. So yes, it hasn't even taken place yet. But rest assured, the folks at Lifetime will make the inaugural 2020 ride a great one. I have no doubt about that. So mark your calendars for October 24, 2020. The race offers an 107 mile "Big Sugar" ride, or a more digestable 50 mile "Little Sugar" ride. (PREDICTION: The Big Sugar will be in the Top Ten Gravel Race category by next year).
Rooted Vermont (Richmond Vermont)
The Rooted Vermont Gravel Ride is the owned & operated by Ted King, former pro road racer, and now gravel ambassador extraordinaire! (Plug for his podcast "King of the Ride" which is really good). You can choose between 45 miles (with 4,000 feet of vertical) or 85 miles (with 8,000 feet of climbing) of Vermont's beautiful gravel roads at the end of July. The day ends with a "Vermont Summer Party" at the base of Cochran's ski area with good food, IPA, and maple creemees?! Kudos to Ted King for putting together a beautiful Vermont-inspired event!
Rocky Mountain Roubaix (Missoula Montana)
Formerly known as the "Montana Gravel Challenge, the new Rocky Mountain Roubaix takes place in April in beautiful Missoula Montana. You've got two options on this one: (i) a 73 mile ride (50% gravel + 50% road), or (ii) a 48 mile ride (70% gravel + 30% road). Beware, April in Montana can be chilly and wet! You'll think you're in Belgium!
Barry Roubaix (Hastings Michigan)
Clever name, eh? Like Paris Roubaix? Nevertheless, this is a classic early season race (held in April) in Hastings Michigan that has a rich history with tons of racers (up to 3,800 gravel racers per year). Before Dirty Kanza, Barry Roubaix was the BIGGEST gravel race in the WORLD! The race is 62 miles with 3,800 of vertical rolling hills which makes it a great challenge, but not an absolute suffer fest. Fun fact: The town of Hastings has even installed permanent road signs to direct riders, racers, and tourists around the race route year round. Do you think the town likes this event? (I think so . . .) The 2020 event is SOLD OUT. And Barry Roubaix has added an 18 mile version, and a 36 mile version.
Coast to Coast 210 Gravel Grinder (Lake Huron Michigan)
The Michigan Coast to Cast 210 Gravel Grinder is a new race, and it's a doozy! Taking place in June, the ride crosses the entire state of Michigan on fast gravel roads and signature two track. In all, the ride is 210 miles through Michigan farmland, grassland, national forest, all the way to the beach of Lake Michigan in Ludington. Be mindful of the 21 hour cut off time for the 210 mile race. (There is also a milder 100 mile version and a relay version of the Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder). If you want more details about this epic day, Selene Yeager wrote a nice piece in Bicycling just how difficult the Michigan Coast to Coast 210 Gravel Grinder really can be (i.e. #sand).
The Mid South (Stillwater Oklahoma)
This is a good one. Previously known as the Land Run 100, the re-branded "Mid South" is a 100 mile or 50 mile race (all on stunning red dirt roads) from Stillwater Oklahoma, to Perkins, and back to Stillwater. This race has gained notoriety mostly from the owner, Bobby Wintle, who hugs EVERY SINGLE finisher throughout the long race day. He's been called a gravel preacher of sorts, and on the morning of the race, he delivers an impassioned sermon encouraging racers to bury their life's problems along the red dirt roads of the race. As of today, The Mid South is considering expanding the race to new distances and new riders. The race happens the second weekend of March, so book it!
Gravel Grinder's Fire Road 100k (Cedar City Utah)
With vistas overlooking Zion National Park in Southern Utah, the Cedar City Fire Road 100k is unlike anything else on this list. The Fire Road 100k starts and finishes on Main Street in Cedar City (#convenient). The race takes place in August of each year. It features 85% dirt and 15% road with sections that over 9,000 feet above sea level (#UtahIsRad).
The Wild Horse ("West" of Salt Lake City Utah)
And while we're on the Utah theme, the Wild Horse takes place each April in the remote high desert "Cedar Mountain Wilderness" area just west of Salt Lake City. The website warns of potential collisions with wild horses (thus the name of the race), antelope, and jackrabbits (again, #UtahIsRad). The course covers 76 miles with 100% dirt and contains over 5,000 feet of climbing. Recently, The Wild Horse race directors introduced an easier-to-swallow "Little Wild Horse" which covers 31 miles and 1,800 feet of vertical climbing.
The Dead Swede (Sheridan Wyoming)
This gravel race clearly wins Gravelution.com's award for the best name. Located in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains (right below the Montana border), The Dead Swede offers a 100 mile, 40 mile and new 20 mile gravel loop starts in Sheridan Wyoming at the Black Tooth Brewing Company. The ride offers two unique factors that aren't found anywhere else on this list: (i) Singletrack! and (ii) a Beer & Bacon Station at mile 90. You'll need that bacon (and beer, I guess) after the 9,000 + feet of vertical gain in this race!
Ochoco Gravel Roubaix (Pineville Oregon)
Located in Pineville Oregon, the Ochoco Gravel Roubaix takes place in August of each year and traverses beautiful pine forests on a "mostly" gravel course (there is some pavement). The race offers an 80 mile or 45 mile loop (no more 120 mile loop . . . sorry). The first male AND the first female to cross the line from any category wins his / her weight in beer from Deschutes Brewery. Sounds heavy. Ochoco Gravel Roubaix also offers a free Kids Criterium which is awesome. Good on ya dudes.
Omaha JackRabbit (Omaha Nebraska)
The good ol Omaha JackRabbit takes place late in the year (October) and is a beautiful mix of hilly terrain and pancake flat river bottoms north of Omaha. The race is 125 miles, and from what we can tell, there isn't much vertical gain in this race . . . (it is Nebraska!) which makes it a good beginner race.
The Crippler (Canon City Colorado)
Southwest Colorado gravel roads is the name-of-the-game for The Crippler. Featuring 65 miles of dirt and 5,000+ feet of climbing on a crisp September Saturday?! What could be better? Well, equal prize money for men and women would be awesome too! The Crippler does it. $500 to the first place man. And $500 to the first place woman. Kudos to the Crippler! The 2019 version was won by Sophie Johnson (1st place woman) and Ryan Graber (1st place man).
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