{"id":120558,"date":"2026-05-14T05:28:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T05:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/unbound-gravel-reveals-2026-route-with-south-and-north-features-combined-to-include-potentially-muddy-sections\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T05:28:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T05:28:59","slug":"unbound-gravel-reveals-2026-route-with-south-and-north-features-combined-to-include-potentially-muddy-sections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/unbound-gravel-reveals-2026-route-with-south-and-north-features-combined-to-include-potentially-muddy-sections\/","title":{"rendered":"Unbound Gravel reveals 2026 route with south and north features combined to include &#8216;potentially muddy&#8217; sections"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-11efeedb-ec41-4e8f-8f50-dfaa6662f877\">Just a little over two weeks before the 20th anniversary edition of Life Time <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/unbound-gravel\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/unbound-gravel\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/unbound-gravel\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Unbound Gravel<\/a> presented by Shimano unfolds, routes have been revealed. The signature Unbound 200 race will deviate from the recent pattern of either heading out from Emporia and into the Flint Hills of Kansas largely to the north or south, with the showcase event on May 30 taking in a bit of each this year as it racks up 206 miles (331km) with over 9,000 feet (2,743m) of climbing.<\/p>\n<p>The race headed out of Emporia into the north the last two editions, but in 2026 will run south from the start with a similar opening section of the route to the last one that ran south, the notoriously <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/news\/peanut-butter-mud-causes-chaos-at-unbound-gravel\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/news\/peanut-butter-mud-causes-chaos-at-unbound-gravel\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/news\/peanut-butter-mud-causes-chaos-at-unbound-gravel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tough, peanut butter mud edition of 2023<\/a>, but cuts out a slightly altered path. Riders will hit Yy road at 15 miles in for a rolling uphill section towards what locals know as the &#8216;Towers climb&#8217; with chunky gravel, creek crossings and perhaps mud if it rains.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-11efeedb-ec41-4e8f-8f50-dfaa6662f877-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">After that the route of Unbound 200 heads toward the first checkpoint in Madison, with amatuer and elite having separate although nearby stops this year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">A challenge awaits at just over 60 miles into the race as riders hit Texaco Hill,<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;This hill is notorious,&#8221; said organisers in a course description video on YouTube. &#8220;It&#8217;s been featured on many Unbound Gravel courses, what you can look for this year is a mile to a mile and half of steady 2-5% grades and once you get to the top you get a little bit of flat, steady, even riding before you bomb down the other side&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">That means time for riders to take in the views from the ridge will quickly be over, as the loose and twisty descent requires concentration, and hopefully the water bottles will still be in the holder by the end. After that it&#8217;s straight into Teter hill, a 1 mile climb with gradients of over 10%.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-5da0b5e1-554d-4487-8021-3527750408e9\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><iframe allow=\"\" height=\"700px\" width=\"1px\" id=\"\" style=\"width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;\" class=\"position-center\" data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/ridewithgps.com\/embeds?type=route&amp;id=53997969&amp;sampleGraph=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-f5dbf519-e9f1-4e6e-9ee7-d2698b582a17\">Now heading to the north again, Matfield Green delivers the second checkpoint and then heads toward a rolling section on Sharps Creek Rd, which hasn&#8217;t been used in the race since 2015. Up next is a completely new section which lies to the west of Emporia, W road, with organisers saying &#8220;it is chunky, it is rocky, it has got a creek crossing, it has got grass, it has got everything you could ever want&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-JKxJ9gPsZKQWdgi7dvK8cD\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-JKxJ9gPsZKQWdgi7dvK8cD slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The race then heads into territory that will be familiar to riders of the last two editions, heading to Council Grove, which is the northernmost section of this year&#8217;s course, at around 150 miles into the race. After that there is DD Avenue with its rolling, rocky and, what organisers warned, could be &#8220;potentially muddy&#8221; terrain at mile 174.<\/p>\n<p>Lake Kahola, where riders cross the dam wall, at 181 miles signals that riders will have to get ready for the last big climb of the day before the final charge to Emporia, where last year <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/unbound-gravel-2025\/ltgp-2-unbound-200-elite-women\/results\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/unbound-gravel-2025\/ltgp-2-unbound-200-elite-women\/results\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/unbound-gravel-2025\/ltgp-2-unbound-200-elite-women\/results\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Karolina Migo\u0144<\/a> and <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/unbound-gravel-2025\/ltgp-2-unbound-200-elite-men\/results\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/unbound-gravel-2025\/ltgp-2-unbound-200-elite-men\/results\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/unbound-gravel-2025\/ltgp-2-unbound-200-elite-men\/results\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Cameron Jones<\/a> claimed victory.<\/p>\n<p>Unbound 100 mile carves out a similar path at the beginning to the 200 but once at Madison heads to the north-east instead, before winding its way back to Emporia. The XL, on the other hand, heads west when it starts on Friday May 29 before heading down to Madison, dropping as far south as Eureka and then also working its way up beyond Council Grove in the north before heading back toward the Emporia finish line to complete the 357 mile challenge.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-e60e4fbf-f11a-44e9-ac56-f4eb793b0723\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"UNBOUND Gravel 2026: The Official 200-Mile Course Preview | 20th Anniversary\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3CJ_Ewtm2_0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-cd5185d6-3163-46c2-8b73-65ae46abb1b6\"><em><strong>Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our gravel cycling coverage in 2026. We&#8217;ll be on the ground at the biggest races of the season, bringing you breaking news, expert analysis, in-depth features, and much more. <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/sub24\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Gravel26\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/sub24\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Gravel26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/sub24\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Gravel26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/unbound-gravel-reveals-2026-route-with-south-and-north-features-combined-to-include-potentially-muddy-sections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just a little over two weeks before the 20th anniversary edition of Life Time Unbound Gravel presented by Shimano unfolds, routes have been revealed. The signature Unbound 200 race will deviate from the recent pattern of either heading out from Emporia and into the Flint Hills of Kansas largely to the north or south, with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":120560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120558"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}