Unbound Gravel

Extreme

Date

2026-05-30

Location

Emporia, Kansas, United States

Distance

320 km

Elevation

1800m

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▌ RIDER INTEL DOSSIER

ID: UNBOUND-GRAVEL

GR SCORE

/ 100

TIER 1

~/dossier/unbound-gravel $ cat briefing.md

▌ 200 miles of Flint Hills. The de facto World Championship of gravel.

The race that defined modern American gravel. A lottery entry, a 200-mile loop out of Emporia, and a finish line that mints careers and breaks egos.

EFFORT57/70

EXPER.52/70

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14 SCORING DIMENSIONS

· Inside the rating

$ ./radar --plot

UNBOUND GRAVEL

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EFFORT MATRIX

· Physical demands · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --effort

LENGTH10/10

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10/10320 km / 200 mi — the original ultra-distance gravel benchmark

320 km / 200 mi — the original ultra-distance gravel benchmark

CLIMBING06/10

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06/10~3,500 m of rolling B-road climbs — death by a thousand cuts

~3,500 m of rolling B-road climbs — death by a thousand cuts

DURABILITY10/10

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10/10Sharp chert chews tires, drivetrains and bodies

Sharp chert chews tires, drivetrains and bodies

TECHNICALITY06/10

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06/10Mud years (2015, 2023) turn descents into hike-a-bike

Mud years (2015, 2023) turn descents into hike-a-bike

HEAT08/10

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08/10Mid-June Kansas: 30-35 °C with no shade in the prairie

Mid-June Kansas: 30-35 °C with no shade in the prairie

WIND07/10

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07/10Open prairie crosswinds — echelons or solo suffering

Open prairie crosswinds — echelons or solo suffering

RACE PRESSURE10/10

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10/10Pro fields, Lifetime Grand Prix points, full media circus

Pro fields, Lifetime Grand Prix points, full media circus

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EXPERIENCE MATRIX

· Race quality · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --experience

ADVENTURE08/10

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08/10A 12-20 hr personal expedition through empty prairie

A 12-20 hr personal expedition through empty prairie

SCENERY07/10

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07/10Endless tallgrass prairie — beautiful but monotonous

Endless tallgrass prairie — beautiful but monotonous

ORGANIZATION10/10

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10/10Lifetime production: aid stations, timing, livestream

Lifetime production: aid stations, timing, livestream

VALUE05/10

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05/10$300+ entry plus travel; lottery odds make it expensive to enter

$300+ entry plus travel; lottery odds make it expensive to enter

COMMUNITY09/10

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09/10Emporia turns into Gravel Mecca for a week

Emporia turns into Gravel Mecca for a week

ACCESSIBILITY03/10

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03/10Lottery entry; 4,000+ apply, ~half get in

Lottery entry; 4,000+ apply, ~half get in

FIELD DEPTH10/10

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10/10Deepest gravel field on Earth

Deepest gravel field on Earth

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GREEN FLAGS

$ ./pros

[+]The benchmark — finishing 200 mi here means something
[+]Lifetime production quality (timing, aid, safety)
[+]Multiple distances: 25 / 50 / 100 / 200 / 350 XL
[+]Emporia townspeople genuinely love the race
[+]Live tracking, helicopter coverage, broadcast
[+]Aid at Cassoday (~50), Eureka (~100), Madison (~160)
[+]Deepest gravel field anywhere

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RED FLAGS

$ ./cons

[!]Lottery entry — no guarantee even with effort
[!]Mud years are course-destroying
[!]Chunky chert flats more than half the field in bad years
[!]No shade. Heat is the silent killer.
[!]Emporia hotels book 12 months ahead
[!]Premium pricing: entry + travel + 2 sets of tires

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RIDER FIT

· Match by archetype

$ match-rider --types

Endurance MulePRIME · 10/10

A 10-15 hr tempo grind suits diesel engines

Heat SpecialistPRIME · 9/10

Kansas June rewards 35 °C tolerance

Wind WarriorPRIME · 8/10

Echelon awareness can save 30 min on a windy year

Privateer ProPRIME · 10/10

Lifetime points + sponsor visibility — the marquee

Adventure TouristGOOD · 6/10

Doable, but the 100-mile race is more humane

ClimberOK · 4/10

Climbs are short and rolling; not the playground

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⚡ SIGNATURE CHALLENGE

The chert and the prairie

The Flint Hills look gentle on the map and feel benign for the first 50 mi. Then the chunky chert, the relentless rollers, and the 35 °C prairie sun start working together. Mile 130 is where Unbound becomes Unbound.

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TIRE INTEL

· Setup recommendation

$ rubber --recommend

WIDTH

42-45 mm

PRESSURE

28-34 psi (rider + casing dependent)

PATTERN

Robust file-tread w/ heavy puncture protection

Sharp chert is unforgiving — durability beats outright speed. Most pros run 45 mm with TPU inserts or sealant-heavy setup. A puncture at mile 130 in 35 °C heat ends your day.

▶ TOP PICKS

1.Specialized Pathfinder Pro[42mm]— Industry standard for Unbound — bulletproof centre tread

2.Continental Terra Speed[45mm]— Fast rolling with solid Black Chili durability

3.Vittoria Terreno Dry[42mm]— Reliable in dust, decent in mud, durable casing

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WEATHER PLAYBOOK

· What the sky throws at you

$ forecast --race

Early June Flint Hills: highs 28-35 °C, humid, thunderstorms possible. A wet morning can mean clay-mud chaos for 10+ hours. Carry sun protection over rain gear nine years out of ten.

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PACING PLAYBOOK

· Where to attack, where to survive

$ tail -f /strategy/pacing

Start → Cassoday~50 mi

First aid is at Cassoday. Resist the urge to chase — most riders blow up by mile 80 trying to hold the lead group.

Cassoday → Eureka~100 mi

The middle 50 miles are mentally hardest. Eat every 30 min. Drink before you are thirsty.

Eureka → Madison~160 mi

Heat peaks in the afternoon. Texaco Hill and the rolling B-roads chew up tired legs. Pace by perceived effort.

Madison → Emporia~200 mi

The final 40 mi is a war of attrition. If you have legs, the last 20 are where bridges close on tired groups.

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WHAT TO FEAR

· Top hazards

$ ./threat-model

[!01]Mud years — bike-destroying peanut-butter clay
[!02]Chert flats — sharp gravel through tire casings
[!03]Heat exhaustion in afternoon prairie sun
[!04]Crosswind echelons cracking your group at mile 60
[!05]Going out too hard with the lead pack
[!06]Mechanical isolation — 30 mi from any aid

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INSIDER INTEL

· 1 reports from the field

$ cat /reports/riders.log

▌ INCOMING TRANSMISSION

“You do not race Unbound for the first 100 miles. You survive them. Then the race starts.”

— Past finisher · Lifetime Grand Prix forum, 2024

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TRAVEL OPS

· Getting there

$ ./logistics --travel

AIRPORTKansas City (MCI) — 2 hr drive. Wichita (ICT) ~1.5 hr.

LODGINGEmporia hotels sell out a year ahead. Look at Council Grove, Cottonwood Falls, Topeka.

FOODEmporia downtown packed with pop-up vendors race week. Mulready’s and Radius are local staples.

PACKET PICKUPFriday at the expo on Commercial St in downtown Emporia.

PARKINGFree parking around downtown Emporia start area. Arrive early.

▌ BOTTOM LINE

If you only do one US gravel race in your life, it is this one. The chert humbles, the prairie isolates, the Emporia finish line means more than any podium.

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