Over 15 Years Strong
Gravel Worlds® officially started in 2010.
Even though we’ve grown since our first event, we have always kept the focus on every athlete from FIRST to LAST!
No matter the distance or finish time, you are what makes Gravel Worlds® possible.
Grassroots: adjective [ grahs-roo ts ]
“(You + Bike) vs. (Roads+Elements)
It’s pretty simple, really. ”
Jason Strohbehn (GW Race Director)
Gravel Worlds History
Before
We started out as a group of friends who loved riding and just wanted to play bikes without all the rules. Like kids on a playground we made up our own rules together as we went. No Categories, no officials, no prize money, just bumping elbows, bleeding lungs, blown up legs, with beers and stories at the finish.
Before Gravel Worlds we hosted an event called “The Good Life Gravel Adventure” in 2008 and 2009.
Gravel Worlds 2010
In 2010 we gathered about 100 of our closest friends for the inaugural Gravel Worlds. Some of us came to win, some came just to finish. 150 or so miles of an unknown and unmarked course, navigation was via cue sheets, no support, and only lotto tickets from small-town stores to prove you did the whole route. Who knew this game would become part of the culture that we now call #gravelfamily.
Every year our event has grown about 25%. While our event has gotten bigger, we strive to keep the grassroots feel of our event.
Now
The game has grown over the last decade to fit in all the people who want to come play. We have some rules now. We sometimes have to be the “officials” but we are staying true to our roots and just want to have fun playing bikes.
We now have 5 main events:
Gravel Worlds: 150 Miles
Privateer: 75 Miles
Buccaneer: 50km
The Long Voyage: 300 Miles
Land Ho Run Series:
25k Half
10k
Some come to race some come to ride but we all share the same road.
15 Years of Remaining Grassroots
2023 Garmin Gravel Worlds
2023 Photo/Video
2022 Garmin Gravel Worlds
2022 Garmin Gravel Worlds Video/Photos
2021 Gravel Worlds
2021 Honorary Champion
Brett Miller
Lansing, MI
Brett Miller tragically passed away on August 1st, 2021 after a road bike racing injury. Brett was an active member of his cycling community in Lansing, Michigan. He was a larger-than-life presence and he was instrumental in building the Lansing and SPIN Bicycle Shop cycling community to what it is today. Brett had signed up for the Long Voyage and was fiercely training to complete the 300-mile journey. Brett’s sister, Nicole, and her husband Chad (also Brett’s best friend) rode the Long Voyage while carrying Brett’s GPS tracking device in his honor. They carried Brett across the gravel roads of Nebraska while honoring his memory along the way.
Brett Miller will be forever named the Honorary Champion of Gravel Worlds 2021.
2019 Gravel Worlds