With 4,000 expected riders, Life Time’s Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear will see updates and new additions to the event weekend’s programming.
UNBOUND Gravel (formerly Dirty Kanza) is positioned as the world’s premiere gravel race, covering 200 miles of hilly terrain surrounding Emporia, Kansas. Last year was the first running of UNBOUND Gravel under its new name. The 2022 edition of Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear will take place on June 4th.
Changing course
While the event is known to switch its course direction from north to south every two years, this year will debut a previously unridden course south of Emporia designed by Race Director Ben Sachs.
“The new course has been a labour of love for us, and we’re incredibly excited to unveil it,” said Ben Sachs, Race Director at Life Time.
“After two years traveling north of Emporia, riders will appreciate the fresh change of scenery on a challenging yet freeing course which creates that exhilarating, unique-to-the-flint-hills feeling of being ‘unbound’.”
Inclusivity
The organising team also point out that the addition of a para-cycling category… ‘embodies the spirit of gravel and exemplifies increased participation by riders of all abilities.’
The category is the newest division the event offers which includes age group, fat-tire, single-speed, tandem, pro and non-binary.
“Now more than ever, gravel is home to inclusivity,” noted Kristi Mohn, Marketing Manager at Life Time.
“We are very excited to continue inviting riders of all backgrounds to join the community. Athletes and spectators can expect to see this reflected throughout the weekend at the expo, group rides, and start line and from industry partners and support crews – all are truly welcome.”
Life Time Grand Prix
Emporia will have a further buzz this year as UNBOUND Gravel serves as the second event in the new Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda – a series of six off-road races where 60 cyclists compete for US$250,000.
The series kicked off in April with an 80K XC race at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic in the hills of Monterey, California. UNBOUND Gravel will be the first gravel race and longest event of the series.
Live, global broadcast
As part of Life Time’s broadcast partnership with FloSports, the entire Life Time Grand Prix series including UNBOUND’s 200-mile distance will be broadcast live globally via FloBikes, a division of the FloSports streaming platform.
Expo
The All Things Gravel Expo will see a new presenting sponsor, the City of Emporia, as the gathering of food vendors, brand booths and activations aims to appeal to local citizens in addition to riders and their support crews.
Lelan Dains, Director at Visit Emporia and previous Race Director of UNBOUND Gravel said, “It is undeniable that support from the City of Emporia has been crucial in creating an amazing rider experience for over a decade, and, so, this sponsorship is a natural fit.”
Reigning champs return
Last year, the marquee 200-mile race was won by Ian Boswell and Lauren De Crescenzo. The 350-mile UNBOUND XL race was won by Taylor Lideen and Lael Wilcox. All four athletes are returning to defend their titles in 2022.
The Garmin UNBOUND Gravel event and the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda are owned and produced by Life Time. These are among more than 30 premier athletic events owned and produced by the company across the US, which also operates nearly 160 athletic resorts and spas in the US and Canada.
www.unboundgravel.com
www.lifetimegrandprix.com
