According to event organiser Focal Events, the 2026 Panaracer Dirty Reiver gravel bike event sold out in just over six hours, a record for the company.
Set in Kielder and Wark Forests in the north of England, the 10th anniversary Dirty Reiver takes place on April 24, 2026.
The Dirty Reiver 200 (200km), Dirty One Thirty (130km) and the 65km routes are off-road cycling challenges based on the Gravel Grinder format from mid-west America. According to Focal Events, it has now become the largest gravel event in Europe.
Bryan Singleton, Co-Event Director at Focal Events, said “We expected entries to move quickly, but given we opened a few months earlier than last year, perhaps not this quickly!
“Not only does it show the continued appetite for the Dirty Reiver, but it also demonstrates the interest in gravel events in the UK generally – especially given we’ve had quite a different geographical spread of riders sign up this year, spanning much more of the country.”
Focal Events is opening entries for two of its other 2026 events this month – the SCOTT Frontier 300 and Crankbrothers Gravel Rocks. Entries for both events open at 08:00 BST on September 15, 2025. Riders entering more than one event will receive 10% off their second entry.
The SCOTT Frontier 300 is Focal Events’ ultra-distance event, tackling a 300km ‘all-road’ course from the west coast of Scotland to the east coast of England over the borders. The event takes place on May 29-30, 2026.
The Crankbrothers Gravel Rocks event is a two-day event in the North York Moors, combining social and race elements. It will be held at Duncombe Park Estate from July 10-12, 2026.
www.dirtyreiver.co.uk
www.frontier300.cc
www.gravelrocks.cc
www.focalevents.co.uk
