25/50 Mile Update – Letter from our Event Director

Greetings from UNBOUND Gravel HQ in Emporia! The big event weekend is coming up on us fast! We hope everyone is as excited to come ride as we are to host you!

There is a big update that we want to share with you that should make your event day an even greater experience. In partnership with local authorities, first responders, health officials, and with respect to the newest CDC guidelines, we have moved where the final timing mat is located. The initial plan had all Friday courses having final timing at Highland St on the northside of ESU campus before continuing on to the All Things Gravel Expo. All of you, as 25 & 50 mile riders, will now have your finish line right at the Expo. This moves your finish right where all the action is and your friends, family, loved ones, and fellow riders can cheer for and congratulate you!

Reminder! Ride start is 10:30am on Friday, June 4.

Please note that the 25 & 50 mile distances are rides, not races. We will still be timing you and greeting you with all our enthusiasm as you roll back into the Expo, but we do not score these two distances. This is important to remember as you are rolling back into town on open streets with traffic. Please be respectful as you finish and do not blast through the finish line into a crowd of Expo-goers. Also be aware that you are riding through active city traffic and OBEY ALL STREET LAWS. You will be riding through ESU campus on Highland St, coming south on Market St, then turning right (west) at 8th Ave and finishing out the last block to Mechanic St & 8th Ave. We will be there with our UNBOUND Gravel towers and our local Voice of Gravel Rob Gilligan to welcome you back. 

Please be aware also that the Junior riders who leave half an hour before you will be following the exact same 25 mile route with one exception: their final timing point is at road K5 before they reach Hwy 99 to come south into town. This change is being made in the interest of safety for these young riders. Discussions with public safety officials led to the change, mitigating concern about some very competitive high schoolers racing the final stretch of their course on a busy highway and turning across traffic with 100 meters to go until the finish line. If any 25 or 50 mile riders are riding by while the Juniors finish arch is still up, please just ignore it and continue on your course as the GPS and map indicate.

Thank you for your patience as we’ve worked through the changes that were required for this year. We look forward to sending you off, and welcoming you back safely on Friday, June 4. 

Please follow the links below to the updated course GPS files and a map of the start/finish setup.

50 Mile Course

25 Mile Course

All map files and start/finish layout available here – UNBOUND Gravel 25 & 50 Mile Event Page 

Looking forward to meeting you – 

Ben Sachs 

Event Director