Three records set in 2024 installment of Unbound Gravel

Saturday was a day for records to be broken in the Unbound Gravel series of races.

Three of the four champions crowned set new records in their respective races. The first came in the male 350 XL when Sebastian Breuer of Seehem, Germany accomplished the 354.3-mile course in 20 hours, five minutes, and 36 seconds, winning the race over defending champion Logan Kasper of Baldwinville, Massachusetts by two seconds. Breuer broke William Harrison’s record of 20 hours, 17 minutes and 27 seconds which was set in 2022. Breuer said once he was getting closer to the finish line, he knew victory was in reach.

Kasper said going up Highland Hill was brutal before riding down Commerical Street toward the finish line.

The elite 200 men’s race was won by Lachlan Morton of Boulder, Colorado, winning the event in 9 hours, 11 minutes and 47 seconds. Morton broke Ivar Slik’s record of 9 hours, 22 minutes and four seconds set in 2022. Morton said it was great to win in Emporia after not winning the previous three attempts.

The third record broken was in the elite 200 women’s race won by Rosa Kloser of Copenhagen, Denmark. Kloser crossed the finish line in 10 hours, 26 minutes and 2 seconds, breaking Sofia Gomez Villafane’s record of 10:27:40 in 2022. Kloser was one of nine women in contention for the win down the sprint. Kloser was surprised she won Unbound in her first race in the United States and Emporia.

Svenja Betz of Nordheim, Germany, won the women’s 350 XL crossing the finish line 23 hours and 46 minutes. Betz said she’s fortunate to finish the 350 after finishing 11th in last year’s 200 race.