Unbound Gravel heads to Europe with its first-ever qualifying event in Belgium

Don't feel lucky enough to chance it with the Unbound Gravel lottery? Well, here's your chance to score an entry to gravel's marquee event in 2025 without needing to enter the lottery. 

Unbound hopefuls will now have a new way to gain access to Unbound Gravel via its first-ever qualifying race: Heathland Gravel in Maasmechelen, Belgium. 

Heathland Gravel, organized by Flanders Classics, will be held August 9-11, 2024 and will offer 50 qualifying spots for Unbound 2025 to those who complete the 160km (100-mile) Heathland Gravel course. 

Twenty-five of the spots will be awarded based on performance, with slots being distributed to each gender and age group based on the percentage of total athletes in those age groups, with a minimum of one spot per age group, according to Heathland Gravel. The top athletes in each age group will receive the allotted spots. Spots can be rolled down if not accepted. 

The other 25 spots will be drawn at random to finishers of the 160km course.

“We are honored to be working with renowned Flanders Classics as we expand accessibility to Life Time Unbound Gravel with this first-ever European qualifying event’, said Kimo Seymour, President of Life Time Events. “[T]he entire Flanders Gravel team produce incredible cycling experiences, and we are excited to grow the reach and appeal of our UNBOUND Gravel across Europe.”

Unbound Gravel has come far since its beginnings when a few dozen off-road cycling enthusiasts gathered in the Flint Hills to race each other across the muddy, rutted roads. 

Now in its 18th year, Unbound has grown to be considered the world’s marquee gravel event, offering five race distances from 25 to 350 miles and 4,000 registration slots. The race draws amateurs and elite pros alike, with the likes of Keegan Swenson, Lachlan Morton and Sofia Gomez Villafañe all testing their skills on the Kansan roads as part of the Life Time Grand Prix series. 

The tire- and soul-sucking mud, coupled with the world-class competition at Unbound, has sparked significant interest, necessitating the implementation of a lottery system to allocate race entries."

The Heathland Grave partnership not only offers a secondary pathway to race entry, it also encourages a bigger presence of international riders. 

About Heathland Gravel

Heathland Gravel takes place in the shadow of the Maasmechelen mine shaft - a location that has hosted rounds of the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup the past two years. Its hosting of the first-ever Unbound Gravel qualifying event is a “nod to the growth of gravel racing in Europe,” according to a representative of Unbound. 

The Heathland Gravel festival also includes 70km and 110km courses, but participants in those distances will not be eligible to qualify for Unbound. Additionally, race weekend will have an expo, social rides, live music and food and drinks. 

“By combining the unmatched reputation and experience of our organizations, we are building a truly unique concept,” says Tomas Van Den Spiegel, Flanders Classics CEO. “UNBOUND Gravel is to gravellers what Kona in Hawaii is for triathletes: a monumental sporting goal and exceptional experience.”

As of publication, registration for the 160km qualifying distance is just $86 USD, or about 80 Euros. 

Although how full the 160km race is has not been disclosed, one can imagine it won’t remain open for long given the hankering gravel cyclists have for getting into Unbound. If a trip to Belgium is in the cards for you this summer, you might want to try your hand at qualifying for Unbound while there, too.