Unbound Gravel, the world’s premier gravel cycling event, is held annually in late spring in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, USA, centered around Emporia. Formerly known as the Dirty Kanza, it began in 2006 with 34 riders and has since grown to attract around 5,000 participants across multiple distances.

Renowned for its challenging, unmarked rural gravel and dirt roads, unpredictable weather, and self-sufficiency requirements, riders must carry their own food, water, and repair kits, with outside support only allowed at official checkpoints. The terrain features sharp flint rocks, rolling hills, and technical sections, testing endurance and equipment reliability.

Unbound Gravel has a grassroots ethos, a mass-start format, and includes both amateurs and top professionals, including former Grand Tour winners and Olympians. It’s part of the Life Time Grand Prix off-road series and offers a significant cash purse for top finishers in the 200-mile race.

The race has become a defining event in the gravel cycling world, known for its unpredictability, community spirit, and legendary status for its winners.