Somehow gravel is still growing, with more interested riders, new tech and new routes discovered all the time. The professional scene is also on a consistent upwards trajectory with races in its spiritual home of the USA growing in stature every year.
With the UCI deciding the time is right to try to take on gravel racing, the less regulated American races are looking to cement their place as the discipline’s true pinnacle. However given its lack of TV coverage, it’s not an easy sport to follow outside of being there, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the biggest American gravel races to add to your calendars.
Whether you want to keep up with the who’s who of gravel, look for ride inspiration or enter the races yourselves, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to get your fix.
It’s also a good place to start to follow race results to get to know who the big talents in gravel are with riders that you may not see in other disciplines or familiar faces from road races.
When does a ride become a race?
Photo: Mike Swim
Most of these events call themselves rides, and that’s because of the emphasis on enjoyment and participation over competition. For amateurs that is most certainly the case, but for the pros it is long, hard racing. In this list we’ve tried to gather the races where the biggest professional gravel racers will be competing. There are ways for anyone to enter most of these races however, whether in their full form or a shorter length version, and whether you ride or race is up to you.
The biggest series of races to look out for are those part of the Life Time Grand Prix, which is essentially the (non-UCI) Gravel World Cup, with six races throughout the year, a general classification and gravel’s heftiest prize fund at an evenly-split $250,000. There is also a documentary series about the 2022 Life Time Grand Prix available to watch for free on YouTube.
You can keep up to date with the results and overall standing of the Life Time Grand Prix series at lifetimegrandprix.com
You’ll also hear a lot about the ‘spirit of gravel’, which refers to the unwritten rules of these rides and their supposedly more laidback and welcoming environment but is often debated and heavily memed.
2023 US gravel races: Key events for pros, route information, 2022 winners and how to enter
At a glance
Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona, 4th March 2023
The Mid South, 11th March 2023
Belgian Waffle Ride California, 16th April 2023
Sea Otter Classic, 23rd April 2023
Gravel Locos Texas, 20th May 2023
Belgian Waffle Ride Canada, 28th May 2023
Unbound Gravel, 3rd June 2023
Belgian Waffle Ride North Carolina, June 2023
Crusher in the Tushar, 8th July 2023
Leadville Trail 100 MTB, 12th August 2023
SBT GRVL, 20th August 2023
Gravel Worlds, 26th August 2023
Rebecca’s Private Idaho, August/September 2023
Chequamegon MTB Festival, 16th September 2023
Gravel Locos Colorado, 30th September 2023
Belgian Waffle Ride Kansas, October 2023
Big Sugar Gravel, 21nd October 2023
Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona
What: The first race of the ever-expanding Belgian Waffle Ride series is new to 2023, but much like the other BWR events – introduced pre ‘gravel’, inspired by the Belgian spring Classics with a mix of tarmac and rough surfaces – it will feature loads of climbing and a multitude of technical challenges through the desert.
When: 5th March 2023
Where: Scottsdale, Arizona
Route: 123 miles, 8,500ft elevation.
2023 winners: Keegan Swenson, Sofía Gómez Villafañe
Alternative distances: Wafer Ride, 79 miles; Wanna Ride, 40 miles
Enter: belgianwaffleride.bike
The Mid South
What: 100-mile race on red dirt roads – that becomes thick ‘peanut butter mud’ in the wet – with over 5,000ft of elevation.
When: 11th March 2023
Where: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Route:
Past winners:
2023: Payson McElveen, Lauren De Crescenzo
2022: Cole Paton, Lauren De Crescenzo
Alternative distances: 12 miles, 50 miles
Enter: midsouthgravel.com
Belgian Waffle Ride California
What: 131.7-mile ride with 19 off-road sectors of singletrack, sandy trails and Cali-cobbles that make up 50 miles making it the ‘Hell of the West’. Over 11,000ft of climbing including ten Ardennes-style categorised climbs and a steepest gradient of 23%. Full course details in the BWR Bijbel.
When: 16th April 2023
Where: San Marcos, California
Route:
Past winners:
2023: Russell Finsterwald, Heather Jackson
2022: Alexey Vermeulen, Mo Wilson
Alternative distances: 71-mile Wafer ride, 37.5-mile Wanna ride
Enter: belgianwaffleride.bike
Sea Otter Classic
Photo: Nikki Ritcher
What: 80km ‘Fuego’ XC mountain bike race, two laps of course featuring mixture of gravel, singletrack and sand, with over 5,700ft of elevation. First event of the Life Time Grand Prix series and part of bigger Sea Otter Classic festival featuring heaps of new bike tech.
When: 23rd April 2023
Where: Monterey, California
Route:
Highlights: Life Time Grand Prix YouTube
Past winners:
2023: Keegan Swenson, Sofía Gómez Villafañe
2022: Keegan Swenson, Mo Wilson
Alternative distances: 6km (juniors), 40km. Also 25-mile La Gravilla gravel race, road races and other MTB disciplines.
Enter: seaotterclassic.com
Gravel Locos Texas
What: 155.3-mile race with 112 miles of gravel and over 8,200ft of elevation. Rolling hills, river crossings and scenery including old pecan plantations and the Leon River valley.
When: 20th May 2023
Where: Hico, Texas
Route: 157 miles, 6,705ft elevation
2022 winners: Laurens ten Dam, Emily Newsom
Alternative distances: GL100 La Gran 110.2 miles, GL60 La Mediana 69 miles, GL30 La Pequeña 32.8 miles
Enter: gravellocos.bike/hico
Belgian Waffle Ride Canada
What: A second new Belgian Waffle Ride for 2023 and yes, this is not in the USA, but it’s close enough for us. Details to be announced.
When: 28th May 2023
Where: Vancouver Island, British Colombia
Route: TBA, 137 miles
Alternative distances: TBA
Enter: belgianwaffleride.bike
Unbound Gravel
Photo: Mike Swim
What: The biggest race in gravel. Unbound features 200 miles of the hardest gravel through the rolling flint hills of Kansas, which can become a mudfest. The second race of the Life Time Grand Prix series.
When: 3rd June 2023
Where: Emporia, Kansas
Route: TBA
Highlights: Life Time Grand Prix YouTube
2022 winners: Ivar Slik, Sofia Gómez Villafane
Alternative distances: Junior, 20 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles or the XL 350 miles
Enter: unboundgravel.com
Belgian Waffle Ride North Carolina
What: The fourth race in the Belgian Waffle Ride series after the additions of Arizona and Canada for 2023, ‘the Hell of the East’, is headlined by the 129.5-mile, 207.4km ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Taking in over 13,000ft of climbing and over 52 miles off-road, it’s seen as the hardest in the BWR series. Featuring ‘unroads’, sandy trails, singletrack, mud and water crossings in often hot, humid and windy conditions, makes it a real test – but a scenic one.
When: 10th June 2023
Where: Hendersonville, North Carolina
Route: ridewithgps.com
2022 winners: Peter Stetina, Sarah Max
Alternative distances: Wafer ride 71 miles, Wanna ride 37.5 miles
Enter: belgianwaffleride.bike
Crusher in the Tushar
What: A 69.9-mile route that’s 60/40 gravel and tarmac but navigates over 12,000ft of elevation through The Tushars mountain range and Fishlake National Forest. It’s the next race in the Life Time Grand Prix series.
When: 8th July 2023
Where: Beaver, Utah
Route:
Highlights: Life Time Grand Prix YouTube
2022 winners: Keegan Swenson, Haley Smith
Enter: tucharcrusher.com
Leadville Trail 100 MTB
What: High altitude mountain bike race in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, starting at 10,152ft (3,094m) and going up to 12,424ft (3,787m) the Leadville 100 is breathtaking. An out-and-back route, riders head through forest rough service roads, two-track roads and a bit of singletrack. The next part of the Life Time series, it is an offshoot of the Leadville 100 ultramarathon.
When: 12th August 2023
Where: Leadville, Colorado
Route:
Highlights: Life Time Grand Prix YouTube
2022 winners: Keegan Swenson, Hannah Otto
Alternative distances: Other Leadville series events spread throughout the year
Enter: leadvilleraceseries.com
SBT GRVL
What: 142-mile course over two main climbs near skiing town Steamboat Springs, CO – home of Moots – featuring more than 100 miles of gravel and just under 9,200ft (2,800m) of climbing. A tough ask for anyone racing Leadville unless you’re named Keegan Swenson but one of the premier events on the calendar.
When: 20th August, 2023
Where: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Route:
TV coverage: sbtgrvl.com
2022 winners: Keegan Swenson, Lauren De Crescenzo
Alternative distances: 100-mile ‘Blue’ route, 60-mile ‘Red’ route, 37-mile ‘Green’
Enter: sbtgrvl.com
Gravel Worlds
What: Representing the real ‘Spirit of Gravel’, Gravel Worlds is a lighthearted jab at the seriousness of ‘official’ events and came before the UCI event introduced in 2022. Though there’s an emphasis on the grassroots feel and having fun riding with friends and family, the tough 150-mile course with over 10,000ft of elevation is a self-supported race with only water and basic nutrition given at check points. Winners get World Champions jerseys.
When: 26th August 2023
Where: Lincoln, Nebraska
Routes: Released a week before the event
2022 winners: Adam Roberge, Lauren De Crescenzo
Alternative distances: 300 miles, 75 miles, 50km
Enter: gravel-worlds.com
Rebecca’s Private Idaho
Photo: Linda Guerrette / Stellar Media
What: Four-day, three-stage stage race featuring 43.3-mile opener on singletrack and gravel roads, 4.5-mile uphill individual time-trial, optional rest day 20-mile fun ride, and final 102-mile 90% gravel road big finish.
When: August/September 2023
Where: Ketchum, Idaho
Routes: rebeccasprivateidaho.com
2022 overall winners: Griffin Easter, Haley Smith, Sam Hansen
Alternative distances: Individual stages 102 miles ‘Baked Potato’, 56 miles ‘French Fry’, 20 miles ‘Tater Tot’
Enter: rebeccasprivateidaho.com
Chequamegon MTB Festival
Chequamegon MTB Festival
What: The next event in the Life Time Grand Prix is a 40-mile mountain bike race that heads through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin over the American Birkebeiner Ski Trail. It totals around 3,300ft of elevation on a technical course, as you’d expect.
When: 16th September 2023
Where: Hayward, Wisconsin
Route: Age-group and pros have slightly different routes, here’s what the pros rode in 2022
Highlights: Life Time Grand Prix YouTube
2022 winners: Bradyn Lange, Savilia Blunk
Alternative distances: Short & Fat, 16 miles; Little Loggers, 15 minutes continuous loop for kids
Enter: chqmtb.com
Gravel Locos Colorado
What: New for 2022 is this 170.1-mile route on rural and farm roads in Pueblo, Colorado. With 13,242ft (4,036m) of elevation, it certainly won’t be an easy course but organisers have described the local groads as among the best gravel routes they’ve seen.
When: 30th September 2022
Where: Pueblo, Colorado
Route: 142.7 miles, 10,364ft elevation
2022 winners: Russell Finsterwald, Flavia Oliveira Parks
Alternative distances: La Gran Piedra 105.3 miles, La Mediana 64.8 miles, La Pequeña 30.2 miles (non-timed)
Enter: gravellocos.bike
Belgian Waffle Ride Kansas
What: The final BWR of the year and the fourth part of the ‘Quadruple Crown of Gravel’ awarded to the best performers across the Belgian Waffle Ride races excluding Michigan, the Kansas ride is getting longer for 2022 and last year’s course was 86% off-road and had over 8,000ft (2,400m) of climbing.
When: 14th October 2023
Where: Lawrence, Kansas
Route: TBC 123.2 miles
2022 winners: Adam Roberge, Rebecca Fahringer
Alternative distances: Wafer 76.4 miles, Wanna 39 miles
Enter: belgianwaffleride.bike
Big Sugar Gravel
What: The final race in the Life Time series, Big Sugar is approx. 100 miles of largely unmaintained gravel, so expect big, loose rocks as well as water crossings with over 6,000ft (1,800m) of elevation gain. Named for Arkansas’s Sugar Creek, riders climb through the Ozark mountains and cross over the state’s northern border with Missouri, not far from Oklahoma, spending half the race outside Arkansas before looping back.
When: 21st October 2022
Where: Bentonville, Arkansas
Route:
Highlights: Life Time Grand Prix YouTube
2022 winners: Russell Finsterwald, Paige Onweller
Alternative distances: Little Sugar 50 miles
Enter: bigsugargravel.com
Photos from race organisers unless stated otherwise.
For more on gravel rides, bikes and tech, visit our gravel hub page.
