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United StatesGravel
UNBOUND Gravel 2026
UNBOUND Gravel 2026 is a four-day Emporia, Kansas gravel event from 28-31 May, with 25, 50, 100, 200 and XL-distance formats across the Flint Hills.
Emporia, Kansas, United StatesClosed
- Dates
- Thu, May 28, 2026
- Type
- Gravel
- Routes
- 40 · 81 · 161 · 322 · 563 km
- altitude range
- 326–507 m
Requirements
[ 00 ]
The course
Track, profile and categorized climbs at a glance. The map and altimetry come from the real GPX track; tap a numbered climb for its detail.
No principal climbs detected. The route summary still reflects the available GPX altimetry.
[ 02 ]
Which route should I pick?
Relative demand and the key numbers for each route. Pick one and the rest of the page adapts.
[ 03 ]
Do I have time to get ready?
What each route demands versus the time left to the start.
This edition has already been raced. Use it as a reference and prepare the next one with margin.
Compare what each route demands
UNBOUND Gravel XL24 weeksExtreme
UNBOUND Gravel 20024 weeksExtreme
UNBOUND Gravel 10018 weeksVery hard
UNBOUND Gravel 5012 weeksHard
UNBOUND Gravel 258 weeksModerate
Make it your goalUNBOUND Gravel XL asks for ~24 weeks of specific preparation. Start your plan with margin and arrive ready.
Get ready for UNBOUND Gravel XL[ 04 ]
Pacing & fuel
Reference-rider estimate (~20h34 · UNBOUND Gravel XL). Your time and fuel scale with your fitness — run the simulator for a personal plan.
Fuel per hour
80–100 gCarbs
650–1000 mlFluid
650–900 mgSodium
What you carry · whole event
18–27bottles750 ml each · 13–21 L total
55–69gels30 g each · 1,645–2,056 g total
Fluid and sodium are adjusted to the event's typical conditions (~20 °C). General guidance — adjust to heat, your gut tolerance, and how the day unfolds.
[ ☀ ]
Race-week weather
Typical conditions for the event month, downscaled to this route's elevation.
19–20°CTemperatureWarm
50%Rain chancePossible
14km/hWindLight breeze
valley → summit · Normals 2022–2025 · Source: Open-Meteo · ERA5/Copernicus (CC BY 4.0)
[ 05 ]
What do I need to know?
Ridium's training read and the caveats before you trust the times.
Training read · Ridium AIUNBOUND Gravel XL is an ultra-distance gravel race of about 563 km across the rolling Flint Hills of Kansas, run fully self-supported and against the clock. It demands deep ultra-endurance, disciplined pacing and meticulous self-sufficiency over many hours, often into the night.
- Endurance
Build toward very long back-to-back gravel rides, including at least one 8-hour-plus day, so your body adapts to the extreme time on the bike this ~563 km route demands.
- Pacing
Hold a conservative, even effort from the start; at XL distance, pushing the early Flint Hills rollers hard is the most common way to fade badly later.
- Fueling
Rehearse a high-carbohydrate hourly fueling plan on long rides and prepare to carry more than you think you need, since the event is self-supported over remote terrain.
- Technical
Practice loose, rocky gravel handling, tire-pressure choices and on-bike repairs, because the Flint Hills surface and pitches up to about 18% reward smoothness and self-reliance.
- Recovery
If you can, train a night-riding and fatigue-management routine, as many XL finishers ride into darkness where staying calm and fed matters as much as fitness.
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