Rob Britton (Castelli SOG) has obliterated the Unbound XL record, blazing through the gruelling 358-mile (576 km) course in 17 hours and 49 minutes. The Canadian endurance specialist held off a relentless challenge from Australian Lachlan Morton (EF Pro Cycling-EasyPost) in an exciting battle for the dot-watchers to follow throughout the night and early morning.
While Morton took the lead early, Britton, a former Canadian national time trial champion, was never far behind. The two entered the final 60 kilometres together, with a margin so thin that it remained anyone's race to win.
"It was just a friggin' grind for ever. I was chasing for hours and hours and hours, and finally I saw this blink of his taillight," Britton told Cycling Weekly. "I didn't make a bigger effort, I just tried to hold him. After the final gas station stop, he was in my sight the whole time. With about 60k, we finally linked up, and we kind of rotated. I've raced him my whole career, and there is a ton of mutual respect between us."
Ultimately, it was the 40-year-old Canadian who rolled into Emporia first, with Morton arriving six minutes later.
"At one point, I turned around and he wasn't there anymore. I don't think it was necessary so much a big effort from me. We were both so on the limit, I just think I had a little bit more in the tank," Britton said.
Like Morton, Britton's background is on the road. He raced professionally from 2010 through 2021, predominantly in North America. He spent much of his professional career racing for teams like Team Raleigh and Rally Cycling (formerly Optum), where he earned a reputation as a consistent GC contender with wins at the Tour of Utah, and Tour of the Gila. He retired in 2021 and turned to off-road adventures instead.
"I have done a decent amount of these [ultra endurance events] now, and I think this kind of solidifies that this is probably what I am good at now."
With strict rules, team tactics, and full support crews, professional gravel racing has become increasingly similar to WorldTour road racing. The XL, on the other hand, remains completely self-supported, with strict rules prohibiting interactions with anyone not in the race. Refuelling only at the occasional gas stations, riders are responsible for their own nutrition, wayfinding on the unmarked course and bike repairs if needed. No support crews. No aid stations. Just the rider, their bike and the open road.
Morton and Britton weren’t the only pro riders drawn to the more adventurous nature of the XL. This year’s XL drew its most competitive field yet, with 208 riders taking on the challenge, including gravel legends and endurance specialists like Ted King, Heather Jackson, Lael Wilcox and Serena Bishop Gordon. According to race organisers at Life Time, it marked the strongest lineup in the discipline to date.
Motoring at an average pace above 20mph, Morton broke away early in the race and appeared to have a smooth, mechanical-free ride, across the infamously rough Flint Hills. Britton, however, was never far behind, keeping the pressure high.
The race pace was so unexpectedly high that it sent organisers scrambling to change the start/finish line setup where the 50- and 25-mile amateur races were still preparing to start, and thousands of riders were still filing into the corrals.
With his finishing time, Britton shattered the previous Unbound XL record of 20:05:36, set by Germany’s Sebastian Breuer in 2024.
