Coming up on the weekend of June 3, 2023, 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, exposed sun-baked roads, headwinds and, if at all wet, tire-sucking mud.
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 23 or more hours.
Now in 17th year, the Garmin Unbound Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear has 4,000 riders registered across five distances — its largest field size yet and a far cry from its humble beginnings of just 34 riders in 2006.
Previous winner of the now, world-famous 200-mile event include former World Tour road pros like Peter Stetina, Ted King and Ian Boswell. Other former roadies returning to Unbound for gravel glory in 2023 include Laurens ten Dam, Alexey Vermeulen, Nathan Haas, Alex Howes and Lachlan Morton.
Last year's Life Time Grand Prix winner Keegan Swenson, challenge-seeker Lachlan Morton and many, many more. This year's field may be its most competitive yet so it's truly anyone's race.
On the women's side, previous winners include familiar names such as Amity Rockwell, Alison Tetrick, Lauren de Crescenzo, and retired cyclocrosser Kaitlin Keough. This year's cast include the likes of cyclocrosser Rebecca Fahringer; retired World Tour roadies like Ruth Winder and Emma Grant as well as off-road experts like Amity Rockwell, Kae Takeshita and a host of world-class mountain bikers.
See the 2023 start lists below.
Contributing to the stacked fields of the 200-mile event is the fact that it is the second stop of the Life Time Grand Prix series, in which a cast of 70 handpicked WorldTour roadies, track world champions and MTB Olympians are competing for a $250,000 prize purse across seven gravel and mountain bike races.
And while the 200-mile course through the Flint Hills is the perhaps the most famous, the 100-miler has grown increasingly competitive over the past few years. It's also seen some star appearances with the likes of three-time former UCI road champion Peter Sagan and his teammate Daniel Oss participating. This year, Australian Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) will make her Unbound debut.
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.
2023 Start lists
The Course
Race director Ben Sachs has updated the courses of the 17th edition of the event, which will again head south but with some notable changes.
Unbound 200 will feature 205.4 miles with 9125’ of elevation, 2 checkpoints, and 2 water refilling opportunities. It's 94% unpaved. Highlights include the return of the so-called “D Hill,” a three-mile climb that hasn’t been used since 2015 due to the potential of it becoming a muddy mess in case of rain. But after last year's mudfest, Unbound racers have proven themselves plenty capable of dealing with mud. Riders will also be introduced to a new four-mile ascent affectionally named "Bee-Yotch hill," meander through cattle pens and ascend Texaco Hill twice.
Unbound 100 will feature 103 miles with 4,400 feet of elevation gain. Most of this course overlaps the 200-miles course, including some private properties that is made available to the race for that day only, and a final kicker in the pants as you approach the finish called Highland Hill.
Unbound XL will feature 352 miles with 13,545 feet of elevation gain. This adventure is fully self-supported but there are a total of 5 gas stations or convenience stores along the course where riders can opt to buy resupplies. A new hill has been added to the course that riders have never ridden before. This is the largest hill on course, with a total elevation gain of about 350 feet, this climb comes at mile 200. There is also a promised "new fun section," and a mandatory dismount section before the riders join the 200-mile course, some 225 miles into their epic ride.
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 mid-season last year. And they're not coming back for 2023 either. But while there's no live broadcasting of the Unbound race action, you can follow updates via social media.
Instagram: @unboundgravel
Twitter: @unboundgravel
