This year’s Panaracer Dirty Reiver gravel event welcomed an international field of 2,000 riders to Kielder Forest in Northumberland, North East England, on April 26, in what organiser Focal Events called the event’s biggest edition yet.
Delivered by Focal Events – which is also behind the SCOTT Frontier 300, crankbrothers Gravel Rocks, and the new Dalby Grit – the event sold out in hours when entries opened in November.
Riders tackled distances ranging from 65km to 200km across what is widely regarded as some of the best gravel terrain in the UK.
As a leading gravel event in the UK calendar, Dirty Reiver included 18 brand partners and exhibitors as part of a growing Gravel Expo. Focal co-director Bryan Singleton said the team had made minor tweaks to start times and course layout to improve flow, especially for riders travelling from further afield.
“Each year we try to further refine and improve the highly anticipated sell-out event that we know people already love,” said Singleton. “Sometimes it’s the small details that aren’t noticeable to most which actually make a good experience even better.”
The 2025 event kicks off a busy summer for Focal Events, with the SCOTT Frontier 300 and inaugural Dalby Grit taking place in June, followed by the second edition of Gravel Rocks in July.
Next year’s Dirty Reiver will mark the 10th anniversary of the event, with organisers planning special celebrations alongside the regular ride format.
“We’re already looking forward to next year’s celebrations,” said Singleton. “The interest from our brand partners and the wider industry to support this event continues to grow.”
