Comprehensive Guide to the gravel and major off-road races 2026

Gravel has a lot of traction, and we're not talking tyres. Events for all levels of riders across dirt roads, rocky ravines and various mixed-surfaced terrrain continue to proliferate around the globe, while individual and collections of races take root with legendary status.

The Traka 360 and Unbound Gravel 200 are now among the top races that professional athletes target across the season, as standalone events and as pillars for the Gravel Earth Series and Life Time Grand Prix, respectively. The UCI Gravel World Series has nearly quadrupled in size since the collection of qualifiers for the UCI Gravel World Championships began four years ago, allowing riders to pick and choose just one event to gain entry into racing for rainbow jerseys.

Independent events have raised the bar for attention and have become a tapestry of tantalising travel destinations. The Rift used to be part of GES, but now shines bright as a solo event in July in Iceland. Valley of Tears Gravel Race in Turkey, Texas has gained attention each March for a massive $45,000 cash payout across top finishers in a gravel criterium and a gravel race expected to be 93 miles in length.

GRVL Events own and operate a trio of races - RADL GRVL in Australia, SBT GRVL in the US and FNLD GRVL in Finland - but there is no association for accumulated points in a series. Each race offers prize money and distinct awards for that region.

The number of national championships in gravel are also on the rise, last year around 14 countries awarded prizes for at national competitions. In 2026, Continental Championships will be held for gravel, the Oceania region joining African, Nordic and European regional events.

Gravel and off-road stage races attract top talent with Cape Epic's two-rider teams racing 700km over eight days in March and a second edition of Gravel Burn featuring 800km across seven days in October, both events in South Africa.

Cyclingnews has assembled a list of leading gravel competitions for the 2026 calendar year. We'll provide race reports from stops of the UCI Gravel World Series, Gravel Earth Series and Life Time Grand Prix, as well as news from other top races around the globe.

Here is a snapshot of the top individual one-day and stage race gravel races, as well as summaries of the larger gravel series for pro riders. Follow along to keep track of the action.

UCI Gravel World Series

In 2026, the UCI GravelKing Gravel World Series returns as the largest collection of races, now with 45 events in 32 countries, having grown from just a dozen events in 2022.

The appeal of the events is not an overall prize or payout, but qualification for the UCI Gravel World Championships. The top 25% of finishers in pro and age-specific categories earn invitations to compete for rainbow stripes in the fall, which in 2026 will be in Western Australia.

Check out the full calendar of events for the UCI GravelKing Gravel World Series in 2026.

Gravel Earth Series

Next in line with a strong calendar of global events is the Gravel Earth Series, which has 11 events in six countries confirmed for 2026.

The majority of the races are now owned by The Traka organisation, which include two-day season opener Santa Vall and the anchor events, The Traka 200 and The Traka 360, all three events in Spain.

Organised by Klassmark, a new entry, Cuckoo Iceland, was announced in the fall as a 12th event, but is no longer on the calendar. The top 10 GES finishers in the Pro category will share equally in a €25,000 prize purse.

Check out the 2026 calendar and winners for the Gravel Earth Series.

Life Time Grand Prix

In the US, considered the home of gravel racing, the Life Time Grand Prix continues for a fifth season, now with a $350,000 overall series prize purse for the top 10 men and women, plus a $2,500 pro finisher payout to Grand Prix riders who complete the full season 11th or higher.

The collection of six races, three gravel and three mountain bike, provide another $240,000 in prize money for all pros, with Unbound Gravel 200 and Leadville Trail 100 MTB offering $60,000, double the other events. The invitation-only field of 22 men and 22 women are selected each winter, with another six riders added as wildcards after the first two races.

Discover more about the Life Time Grand Prix and the schedule for all six races.

Belgian Waffle Rides

Four US competitions in the Belgian Waffle Ride make up the Quad-Tripel Crown of Gravel. Series standings tabulate the best three of four finishes from BWR Arizona, BWR California, BWR Utah and BWR Montana, held between February to June in 2026, for men's and women's top fives.

Last year a prize purse of $25,500 was distributed evenly among pro men and women.

Grasshopper Adventure Series

The longest-running collection of gravel and mixed-terrain races are held in California for the Grasshopper Adventure Series, the "Hoppers" starting in 1998. Racing runs from January to May and event podiums have expanded in 2026 with the top five sharing in a combined prize purse of $2,500 at each series stop.

Nordic Gravel Series

The Nordic Gravel Series offers four events this year, Gravel Primavera Borgå and Falling Leaves Lahti both in Finland, and Gravel Grit'n Grind and the new Evertsberg Gravel both in Sweden. All four count in the NGS classification, with elite riders in the women’s and men’s categories competing for a minimum prize purse of €15,000. Podium placements in the age categories grant entry to the 2027 Gravel European Championships in Lahti, Finland.

Falling Leaves Lahti and Gravel Grit'n Grind return as part of the UCI Gravel World Series with second days of racing at both events. The Swedish Grit'n Grind race has been held annually since 2022 and is under new organizer Breakaway.cc for next season. This is the first year the event has been in the Nordic Gravel Series.