Thursday, October 1, 2026
The USA Cycling Gravel National Championships are set to return for their third edition on September 20, 2025. USA Cycling is the national governing body for cycling in the United States, overseeing and promoting various competitive cycling disciplines. It has recently become more involved in the sport of gravel racing. While the event remains in the Midwest, it makes a dramatic change in landscape this year, relocating from Gehring, in the plains of western Nebraska, to the Driftless Region of La Crescent, MN / La Crosse, WI for both this year and 2026. La Crescent is known as the “Apple Capital of Minnesota”, and Gravel Nationals this year will coincide with the town’s annual Apple Festival, providing participants and spectators with the opportunity to blend both gravel racing and local cultural festivities.
Racers will line up for the start in La Crescent, then grind their way on limestone gravel roads along towering bluffs, deep wooded ravines, and river valleys of the region. According to Kyle Knott, National Events Director at USA Cycling, the move to the Driftless was fueled by enthusiastic local support, as demonstrated in the proposal to host Gravel Nationals submitted by the Explore La Crosse organization. “We were excited about the challenging terrain and the desire to be on the same weekend as their Apple Festival”, Knott said.
“Having the ability to create a course with a different topography is beneficial to representing the different types of gravel racing that exist in the US. Being located on the same weekend as such a big festival creates an atmosphere that encourages families to join our event, allowing us to introduce cycling to those in the community who may not be familiar with it. Combine those two things with the tremendous support from the community, and it was a pretty easy decision for us to bring the event there.”
Jeremiah Burish with Explore La Crosse has been involved in the planning and echoed some of the sentiments on strong community support for the event. According to Burish,
“The City of La Crescent, the businesses, and local surrounding towns and regions have been incredible to work with. This is an opportunity to showcase the southeastern portion of Minnesota and the La Crosse region as a premier destination for bicycling on a national level. Everyone involved has put their best foot forward to make the rider and attendee experience truly astounding and memorable, sure to encourage return visits for future events (Gravel Nationals 2026, other local events) as well as leisure and vacation trips”.
The 2024 Gravel Nationals in Nebraska saw Lauren Stephens dominate the elite women’s race, taking her second consecutive title over 131 grueling miles. She crossed the line 1:21 ahead of Lauren De Crescenzo, with Paige Onweller taking third.
In the elite men’s race, Brennan Wertz secured the win in a very competitive race that went down to the wire, with nine other racers finishing within ten seconds of Wertz’s winning time, including a second-place finish by John Borstelmann and Colby Simmons in third.
The Driftless Area (a region that avoided being flattened by glaciers in the last ice age) is characterized by steep hills and deep ravines, and the local karst topography (gradually dissolving limestone bedrock) results in sinkholes, caves, and springs. Combine these elements, and riders are sure to encounter a numerous leg-burning climbs and screaming descents. In discussing this year’s route, Knott mentioned that (at the time of the interview) they were still finalizing the course, “but there will be plenty of tough descents and climbs that will top out over 10% in grade”, and that the routes “will provide riders of all caliber a challenge due to the elevation gained during their races. This will create multiple opportunities for the strongest riders to put their strength on display”.
While many eyes may be on the professional and other elite riders, one of the refreshing parts of the rise of gravel cycling are the efforts to make it inclusive and community-driven, even at the national championship level in this case. When asked how inclusive Gravel Nationals is for other riders (besides the professional/elite racers), and what opportunities they’ll have if participating, Knott stated that “Gravel Nationals is one of the most inclusive events we have. We have categories for different ages, singlespeed, non-binary, elite, amateur, and para-cyclists”. He went on to say that the event “does not have any barriers to signing up outside of joining USA Cycling as a member and having a bike to ride. I encourage anyone in the community interested in participating to sign up. The beauty of gravel racing is that there is an opportunity for everyone, whether you are seeking a stars and stripes jersey or just looking to test yourself over the distance assigned to your category”.
USA Cycling expects several hundred racers this year, spread across a multitude of categories. With 64 and 100-mile options, there’s a place for anyone looking to spend a long day out on a Driftless gravel road adventure.
Spectators, family members, or others in the area for the event that may also want to do some riding but might be seeking out a more “mild” gravel route have some great options; there is an extensive network of rail trails in this part of southwest Wisconsin, including the Great River Trail, the La Crosse River Trail, and the Elroy-Sparta Trail. Since they were former railbeds, they tend to have a relatively gentle grade for cyclists rolling along these trails (although your legs will likely still feel the climbing a bit if you make it up to one of the old railroad tunnels on the Elroy-Sparta, originally carved through limestone bluffs by rail workers in the 1870s). Burish also mentioned the mountain biking opportunities in the region; “ORA Trails offers and maintains a plethora of trails throughout greater La Crosse in Upper & Lower Hixon Forest Trails, the Gateway Trails, and coming soon, the Community Trail Farm. Winona, Minnesota, offers trails throughout Bluffside Park and Cherry Hill, stewarded by Winona Area Mountain Bikers”.
When asked about opportunities for those who may prefer other outdoor pursuits in the area besides cycling, Burish responded, “If there was ever a place for water lovers to unite, this is it! The Mississippi River is the heart of our region, with outdoor recreation opportunities plentiful. Eat at one of the many amazing restaurants that line the banks of the area’s rivers and lakes. Then, you can grab your canoe or kayak, or rent one locally, and follow one of the many paddling trails. Or grab a rod & reel for world-class bass, walleye, pike, and panfish on the Mississippi River or trout in one of the many Driftless streams”.
Coinciding with the race weekend, a two-day outdoor expo will take place at Gravel Nationals on September 19 & 20. You can expect to find vendors for merchandise, various cycling-related products, nonprofit organizations, and food & beverages. Other community tie-ins over the weekend include a parade, carnival rides, live music, and both a 5K and kids’ big wheel race.
For more information on registration, course details, and event schedules, visit the official USA Cycling Gravel Nationals website. gravelnats.usacycling.org
While USA Cycling is making efforts to integrate the race weekend with community activities and make the race inclusive for varying abilities and age categories, for some riders, the rules or requirements involved with sanctioned events by a governing body of the sport may not be their preference. For others, it’s more about gathering to ride on dirt and scenic roads with a small group of like-minded cyclists. While the Gravel National Championships may bring more attention to the area regarding gravel cycling, there are also a variety of other, more grassroots-type gravel events in the Driftless Region that draw serious cyclists, weekend warriors, and beginners alike. Currently, the largest of those from a participant standpoint is undoubtedly the Filthy 50, held in Lanesboro, MN in October. This year’s Filthy again quickly sold out its 1,000 participant spots, with all being snapped up within a couple of days of registration opening in June. While there are many other gravel cycling events to choose from throughout the year besides the following, here is a sampling of five other lower-cost (all of these currently have an entry fee of $60 or less) Driftless Region gravel events you may want to check out and put on your calendar for later this year or 2026.
Old Fashioned Gravel - A newer event, Old Fashioned Gravel returns for its second year in 2025, offering distance options ranging from 20 to 100 miles. It is based in Hokah, Minnesota (just a few miles down the road from La Crescent), so routes will almost certainly include many of the same gravel roads that participants in the aforementioned Gravel National Championships will be racing on. Old Fashioned Gravel Event Director Paul Reardon is the owner of Blue Steel Bikes, a custom steel and titanium bike frame shop in La Crosse. https://oldfashionedgravel.com/
Colesburg Back 40 (formerly Colesburg Gravelpocalypse). The Driftless Region also includes northeast Iowa, where this race has been taking place for over 30 years. Initially started to better prepare area mountain bike riders for the punchy hills and rugged terrain they’d find on their annual trip to the Chequamegon 40 race in northern Wisconsin, race Director Michelle Carithers hosts the event every Labor Day weekend, and this year’s event includes distance options of 30, 50, or 100 miles of gravel and Level B (dirt) roads. bikereg.com/colesburgback40
At the nearby Driftless 100, located in the charming town of Elkader, Race Director Matthew Fassbinder offers cyclists 45- and 100-mile routes. With a lot of climbing and beautiful scenery around the Turkey River corridor, both distance options also pass along Motor Mill, a stunning six story 1860’s limestone mill located along the river.driftlessgravel.com
The nonprofit Vernon Trails organization organizes Southwest Wisconsin’s Dairy Roubaix. This ride starts from the Sugar Creek Bible Camp, which also allows riders a variety of camping options located on-site. While many areas of southern Wisconsin have a significantly higher percentage of paved roads compared to gravel, this area, roughly between the Mississippi River and the town of Viroqua, features numerous gravel roads that wind along the ridges and down creek-side valleys throughout the region. dairyroubaix.weebly.com
The Heywood Ride is based in Northfield, Minnesota, and most routes then wind eastward towards the Cannon Falls and Red Wing areas. With a focus on community and noncompetitive riding (rather than racing), the Heywood offers routes from 30 to 390 miles - yes, you read that correctly…390 miles! I had an opportunity to ride the Heywood in 2022, and many of those same roads in 2019 at the final Almanzo 100, so I can attest to both the beauty and challenging terrain of this area!
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