It has been two weeks since Unbound Gravel packed downtown Emporia, and organizers are still awed by what they saw.
Between the participation with over 5,000 riders — let alone all the others in town for the races — and the number of new record times set, Unbound 2025 was something to behold. On the race times, Life Time Marketing Manager Kristi Mohn and four-time 200-mile winner Dan Hughes say riders are lot more focused on their performances than they used to be. Equipment companies are as well.
Among the “new activities” this year was the return of the Kids Crit, which had young riders take a lap in downtown — and start at the famed starting line outside the Granada Theatre. The activity was at the top of Mohn’s highlight list.
As Unbound has grown, there have been some concerns about traffic safety and the sheer volume of humanity in and around Emporia. Hughes says the goals are to continue growing the sport and to keep Emporia as the worldwide hub of gravel cycling.
The economic impact of Unbound 2025 is to be determined after last year’s event brought a nearly $22 million boost to the economy. Planning begins soon for Unbound 2026, the 20th year of the event, and Mohn says it will be one to remember.
Life Time is tentatively set to keep the rider numbers at around 5,000, but Mohn says the goal is more towards expanding the experience through additional activities.
