What is Unbound Gravel, who's racing it and why it's the 'World's premier gravel event' (2024)

Coming up on the weekend of June 1, 2024, Unbound Gravel, formerly known as the Dirty Kanza, is a mass-start event that takes place in the Tallgrass Prairie and Flint Hills around Emporia, Kansas, in the middle of the United States. With five race distances on offer and 4,000 attendees, Unbound has become the world’s marquee gravel event.

The famous 200-mile course is a true test of endurance, self-sufficiency and equipment. In addition to needing to fuel oneself for 11+ hours of riding, the sharp flint rocks are notorious for slicing tires and dashing podium aspirations. Along the way, riders also need to contend with the undulating terrain and the weather.

The Midwest is notorious for its unpredictable weather, with the end of May bringing a dynamic mix of thunderstorms with heavy rain and hail, sudden temperature swings from unseasonable heat waves to chilly spells, and even the occasional tornado, meaning that riders must be prepared for anything.

For those seeking the ultimate challenge, organizers added a 350-mile option in 2018. This epic, named the Unbound XL has been won in the past by riders such a Rebecca "the Queen of Pain" Rusch and ultra-endurance star Lael Wilcox and sees riders suffering for 24 or more hours.

Now in 18th year, the 200-mile Unbound Gravel race is more competitive than ever before and riders have to enter a lottery for a chance to score a race entry — a far cry from its humble beginnings of just 34 riders in 2006.

This year's all-star cast of competitors includes America's best off-road racers including the dominant Keegan Swenson, EF Education's Lachlan Morton and former winners Ian Boswell and Pete Stetina.

The ever-growing international presence has never been stronger with the likes of Olympic and Roubaix champion Greg van Avermaet, gravel world champion Matej Mohorič, 2024 Cape Epic winnerMatt Beers, former Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra, and of course, the so-called Dutch Mafia with Laurens ten Dam and 2022 Unbound winner Ivar Slik among them, all taking to the start on Saturday.

In the women’s field, the female champions from the last four editions, Carolin Schiff, Sofia Gomez Villafane,Lauren De Crescenzo andAmity Rockwellare all returning to fight for the crown but competition will be stiff. Among the list of favorites are Canyon-SRAM's Tiffany Cromwell —fresh off a win at UCI Gravel World Series’ Swartberg 100 race, Traka 360 winner Karolina Migoń, reigning Gravel Earth Series championAnnabel Fisher, SD Worx's Geerike Schreurs and last year's podium finisher Sarah Sturm. See the full start lists below.

Racing and riding aside, the week of Unbound is filled with parties, tech launches and an industry expo, all bringing some $5 million USD to the small college town.

The Race Within the Race

Contributing to the stacked fields of the 200-mile event is the fact that Unbound is also the second stop of the Life Time Grand Prix series, in which a cast of 60 handpicked WorldTour roadies, cyclocrossers and MTB Olympians compete for a $250,000 prize purse over the course of the U.S.'s hardest gravel and mountain bike races.

Unbound Gravel: The 200-mile Course

Equipment and handlingskillwill play a big part in who triumphs at this year's race.

Following the mud-bogged mayhem of the 2023 event, characterized byripped-off derailleursandbroken frames, the 2024 edition promises a challenge of a different kind with its chunkiest and most technical course yet.

This year, the race course heads north, a direction it has only ventured twicebefore. Rocky and technical, the 200-mile course may just be its most challenging yet, organizers say.

The coursecovers 202.9 miles of harsh gravel roads with approximately 11,000 feet of climbing—more than its previous north course editions.Surface types will range from fast gravel roads to chunkydoubletrackand only alittlebit of pavement, with 92% of the course markedasunpaved.There will be two checkpoints whereriders can meet their crews and receive outside supportand two neutral water support 'oases.'

Read the full course report, here.

How to follow Unbound Gravel live

Sadly, following access problems, the Life Time Grand Prix Series and FloSports ceased the broadcasting of the Life Time Grand Prix series. But while there's no live broadcasting of the Unbound race action, you can follow updates via social media and the official timing website.

There are timing mats throughout the course, spaced approximately 10 miles apart, allowing fans to follow along. Time splits will be available on Athlinks.

Race updates from the Elite men’s race can be followed in the Instagram stories of the@lifetimegrandprix. The Elite women's race will be shared via Instagram stories on the@unboundgravelaccount.

An extended highlights reel will be made available on Monday, June 3, as well. And we'll of course have the race reports post-event.

Unbound Gravel: 2024 Start lists

Latest Unbound Gravel 2024 News

• Is Unbound too 'epic'? Legends of gravel race defend its difficulty and revisit its gnarliest editions
• ‘I’m still scared of the distance’ - former Roubaix champion Greg van Avermaet on racing Unbound Gravel and life as a gravel pro
• Gravel world champion Matej Mohorič and Bahrain team to race Unbound 200
• ‘Relentless onslaught of rough, rocky paths’: the 2024 Unbound race course is perhaps its toughest yet
• Women gravel racers call for a race of their own as Life Time decides to not implement drafting rules

Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.

Originally from The Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon she became a full-time cycling journalist.She's now been a cycling journalist for 11 years.