About the race
Unbound Gravel is a gravel cycling festival in the Flint Hills around Emporia, Kansas. It was previously known as the Dirty Kanza, and its headline race is the 200-mile ride, which the organiser bills as the world's premier gravel event.
History
The event began in 2006 with 34 participants. By 2024 Wikipedia counts roughly 5,000 registered riders across all races, and the organiser describes about 4,000 riders arriving each spring. Dan Hughes (four wins) and Rebecca Rusch (three) are among the most successful past winners. The organiser is marking its 20th anniversary and lists the 2027 weekend as 3 to 6 June in Emporia, with its future-dates list giving 5 June 2027 for the race day itself.
The course
Every route starts and finishes in Emporia and runs along rural gravel roads through the Flint Hills of east-central Kansas. The course is redrawn each year and can swing north or south of town. The organiser says the 2027 routes are still in the works.
Distances
The menu lists XL, 200, 100, 50 and 25 mile options, plus junior and kids' events and a crit. Wikipedia describes the range as 25 miles up to about 350 miles.
Entry basics
Demand exceeds places, so a free random lottery decides entry. For 2027 it opens on 1 November at 10:00 CT and closes on 15 November at 23:59 CT, with results announced on 21 November. Entry is limited to one per person, and a card is charged only if you are selected. Life Time club members can enter on 25 October. Other ways in include charity slots, the Training Camp plus entry package, volunteering for 10 or more hours, and qualifier-race coins handed out at listed events. The organiser publishes deferral rules and an official-rules page. Check the organiser for cut-off times.
Where to watch
Emporia is the hub. The weekend includes the All Things Gravel Expo, shakeout rides, a kids' crit and other events around town, and the start and finish are in the city, which is the easiest place to see riders.
Weather
Late spring on the Kansas plains can swing hard. Wikipedia notes that some years have brought afternoon heat on the route and others severe storms, so riders usually prepare for either. This is general background, not a forecast.
SourcesUnbound Gravel home · Registration and ways to race · Wikipedia: Unbound Gravel