Unbound Gravel 2025

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Karolina Migoń sets out on searing 50 mile solo to claim women's Unbound 200

There was no stopping Karolina Migoń (PAS Racing) when she launched solo with around 50 miles still to go at Unbound 200, the Polish rider crossing the line in Emporia to continue her winning run. 

The rider, who had already taken her second win in a row at the Traka 360 at the start of the month and claimed Gravel Locos last week, crossed the line with a margin of more than eight minutes to second-placed teammate Cecily Decker while 2022 winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized) took third more than 18 minutes back, winning a sprint from a chasing group of four.

Cameron Jones sheds early break companion Simon Pellaud to snare men's Unbound 200

Cameron Jones (Scott-Shimano) risked an early break with Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling) in Unbound 200 and it was a roll of the dice that delivered a huge pay off. The rider from New Zealand clinched gravel's biggest victory when he shook off Pellaud and distanced him on the final paved Highland Hill climb to ride to cross the the line with a 42 second gap to his nearest rival. Torbjørn Røed crossed the line five minutes back to take third.

What is Unbound Gravel?
Unbound Gravel is a long-running gravel event that carries no UCI ranking or formal recognition from the cycling authority but is nonetheless – or perhaps partly because of this – held in the highest esteem across the gravel community. It draw close to 5,000 riders ranging from enthusiastic amateurs out for a challenge to the best of the growing rank of professionals from around the world in the rapidly growing discipline. 

Its grassroots ethos, brutal terrain and long distances just add to the unpredictability and mystique of the race which is so popular that riders now have to enter a lottery to try and secure a spot. There are a range of distances, running from a family-friendly 25 miles to the XL course which is 350 miles – that is a whopping 563km for those not in the US. Still, it is the 200-mile event which draws the lion’s share of the attention and top-tier contenders at the race which starts and finishes in Emporia.

Where is Emporia?
The race runs through the Flint Hills of Kansas in the pairielands of the United States, starting and finishing in Emporia. The small town has a population of around 24,000 – when Unbound isn’t on. It is located 110 miles southwest of Kansas City, between Topeka and Wichita. 

What is the weather like?
Temperatures in the month of May in Emporia average a high of 24°C and low of 13°C, according to Weather Spark. It is also the time of year where the location gets its biggest chunk of rainfall, with an average of around 118mm in May, which as transpired in 2023 can lead to some serious mud at times.

What prizes are offered?
The prestige of the Unbound Gravel 200 win has long been the biggest prize to draw the swathes of competitors, which also comes with a custom belt buckle. This year a prize purse of $30,000 for Unbound Gravel 200 is on offer for elite riders, with $5,000 for first place running down to $1000 for fifth.

How can someone watch the race online?

For the very first time, Cyclingnews will provide live coverage of Unbound Gravel 200 in 2025. Race experts will provide updates at they happen, details about the race route and comments from top competitors on race day, just like we do for Grand Tours, one-day Classics and all the big races around the world. Check the website for our opening updates just after 5:00 a.m. local time in Kansas (11:00 BST) when the pros begin to asssemble on Commercial Street in downtown Emporia. Elite men start Unbound 200 at 5:50 a.m. local time and the elite women start at 6:05 a.m. local time.

In addition, organisers will offer free live stream will be on the Life Time YouTube channel for the first time. It is set to run for nearly seven hours of the 200-mile event, beginning at 10 a.m. local time (16:00 BST).

About Unbound Gravel 2025

Life Time Unbound Gravel presented by Shimano returns for its 18th edition in 2025,  now with five route distances held across May 30-31 through the rugged, rural terrain of the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas. The signature 200-mile event, which is part of the Life Time Grand Prix off-road series, will take place on Saturday, May 31.

Referred to now as just Unbound, the original ride in 2006 featured 34 riders covering 200 miles from the small town of Emporia. In 2013, shorter distances of 25, 50 and 100 miles were added, then five years later the 350-mile Unbound XL ultra-endurance category was added, still using Emporia as the anchor for a start and finish. 

From a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the event re-emerged with new Life Time ownership and boomed in global popularity as gravel soared in popularity. Unbound Gravel is now considered the world's most prestigious gravel event, attracting top professionals for racing and seeing registration numbers as high as 5,000 participants across the five distances. 

Unbound Gravel 100 has become the most popular of the five distances, with close to 1,900 participants, 28% more than Unbound 200, and a lottery system is used for the coveted entry process in all distances.

Germany's Rosa Klöser won the 2024 Unbound Gravel 200 elite women's race, which was defined by a nine-rider sprint after almost 10 and a half hours of racing. Australia's Lachlan Morton won a two-up sprint against USA's Chad Haga in the men's elite race, winning in a record time of 9:11:47 in dry conditions.

All the routes roll through farmland and an 'extremely remote area' of the Flint Hills region using an extensive network of dirt roads strewn with a crystalized, sharp-edged rock called chert, or flint. The relentless hills, valleys and washouts add up to nearly 12,000 vertical feet of climbing on the 200-mile route. The three shorter courses use much of the same path as Unbound 200, which will head to the north for a second consecutive year in 2025.

A unique aspect to Unbound events is that the course is unmarked, so riders must download maps. Outside support is only allowed at designated checkpoints on the courses, and a “do not call us” policy for breakdowns and injuries.

All riders who finish Unbound Gravel 200 will receive a custom Unbound Gravel Finisher’s Award and “200” window sticker. The top five finishers in each class, there are a total of 30 divisions, receive a custom podium award, while the overall male, overall female and overall non-binary winners receive custom belt buckles. The top five pros, men and women, will share in a new $30,000 cash purse.

Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2025 Unbound Gravel with race reports, news and analysis.

Unbound Gravel 2025 route

Each spring the course reveal for Unbound Gravel signals the time for participants to begin planning for tyre sizes and other equipment selections. The courses change each year, making adjustments to roads used in previous years that lead to the south or north from Emporia. 

In 2025, the single-loop format will retrace much of the northerly route used in 2024. This direction from Emporia, in a counter-clockwise direction, traditionally has more climbing than the southerly direction, and some rougher roads before the first checkpoint the 200-mile race. 

All rides start in front of the historic Granada Theatre in downtown Emporia, with the elite men and elite women in Unbound 200 having separate corrals and starts well before the amateur fields. The 200-mile route will have two official checkpoints, where participants are allowed to meet their support crews to re-supply and repair equipment - the first at mile 70 in Alma and the second at mile 148 in Council Grove. There are also two 'oasis' points on the route for water only - mile 40 at Eskeridge and mile 112 at Alta Vista.

See the 2025 Unbound Gravel route details.

Unbound Gravel 2025 schedule