You never know what to expect when it comes to the Unbound Gravel series of races, and this year the only thing less predictable than the outcomes was the weather conditions.
Riders faced a constantly changing backdrop of showers and thunderstorms, wind and heat and humidity across all distances, starting with the XL 350-mile ride, which was won on the men’s side by Robin Gemperle of Switzerland, who finished in just over 21 hours with an average speed of 16.73 miles per hour. Gemperle says the race was everything he expected and much more.
Men’s Elite 200 winner Mads Wurtz Schmidt of Denmark, who claimed the top spot with a time of 9:14:51 and an average speed of 22.38 mph, summed up the day by calling it a battle.
He added that claiming the 200 title has been a big goal for him.
Wurtz Schmidt had a roughly five-minute lead on the second closest competitor, whereas the women’s elite 200 finish was separated by a matter of seconds. Taking home the top honor was Utah’s Sofia Gomez Vilafane, who finished with a time of 10:31:37, one second ahead of Geerike Schruers, Cecily Decker and Paige Onweller, who all turned in a time of 10:31:38, with all racers averaging a speed of 19.66 miles.
Gomez Vilafane says it was a “wild day” in the Flint Hills.
Speaking to the conditions on the course over the weekend, Unbound Race Director Shawn Thurman stated administrators promised something special for the 20th anniversary of Unbound, and they certainly delivered.
In all seriousness, Thurman says the challenge of the courses and the unpredictable nature of the weather are important parts of what makes Unbound, Unbound.
Every year, Unbound sees individuals unable to complete their respective courses due to a variety of reasons, but this year in particular was notable because of some of the names who never crossed the finish line. That includes XL 350 2025 champion Rob Britton, 2021 Champion Taylor Lideen, Peter Stetsina and Ted King.
The reason for Britton and Lideen’s DNF (did not finish) status is unclear at this time. Stetsina and King withdrew due to crashes and had to be taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. 2024 elite 200 Champion Lochlan Morton also had to withdraw from this year’s 200-mile race just 50 miles into the course due to an apparent crash.
Despite these notable incidents, Emporia Fire Battalion Chief Ryan Conley says this was a relatively typical year for local EMS, both in Emporia and surrounding counties. Noting the distance the event covers each year, he tells KVOE News there is a lot of coordination required between area counties in order to make sure emergency crews are ready to respond in any situation.
This year’s Unbound had 6,000 riders taking part, the largest field in event history, with competitors representing all 50 US states, 53 countries and six continents. Emporia Mayor Becky Smith says Unbound is an event that brings not only notoriety to Emporia, but also a huge economic boost to local businesses.
Smith, who has ties to the event going almost to the very beginning back in 2006, says this is an event you won’t see elsewhere and one that has been exciting to watch grow.
Mulready’s Pub owner Meg Worthing seconded that sentiment, saying Unbound is a year-making event for her business.
On average, Unbound Gravel week generates roughly $21 million in revenue for the entire Emporia community based on historic data provided by Unbound administration. We have photos from the 20th anniversary of Unbound available below.
You can find videos on KVOE’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
1:00 pm Saturday: Swiss rider claims Unbound XL 350 title
Switzerland’s Robin Gemperle is the 2026 Unbound XL 350 champion.
Gemperle crossed the finish line in downtown Emporia with a time of 21:16, averaging 16.73 miles. Gemperle, who was competing in his second Unbound, says the course was everything he expected, and more, thanks to Mother Nature, who brought multiple rounds of rainstorms and some occasional thunderstorms over the course of the 350-mile ride.
Gemperle adds that the weather wasn’t the only challenge he faced on the course.
While Gemperle managed to overcome the adversities along the way, others were not so fortunate, as in the late evening hours Friday and overnight hours into Saturday several top riders were taken out of contention. This included returning champion Rob Britton of Canada, 2021 Champion Taylor Lideen, Peter Stetsina and Ted King.
The reason for Britton and Lideen’s DNF (did not finish) status is unclear at this time. Stetsina and King withdrew due to crashes and had to be taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The XL was not the only race to see heavy favorites go out before crossing the finish line, as 2024 elite men’s 200 champion Lochlan Morton was forced to withdraw from the race at the mile mark following what has been called an apparent crash.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for more updates on the Unbound series of races as they continue through the afternoon hours.
7:30 am Saturday: 20th anniversary of Unbound Gravel off and rolling
Unbound Gravel number 20 is officially off and running, or rather rolling through the Flint Hills.
The 20th annual series of races officially began Friday afternoon with the launch of the Unbound XL 350-mile ride, with nearly 300 competitors taking to the course. Already, the XL has demonstrated the unpredictable nature of Flint Hills Gravel riding with many of the front-runners going out in the evening and overnight hours, including reigning men’s and women’s champions Rob Britton who set the course record last year.
Race Director Shawn Thurman, ahead of the men’s elite 200 launch Saturday morning, says that unpredictability is what makes Unbound such an exciting event.
Following the launch of the XL was the elite men’s 200 competitors just before sunrise Saturday and the elite women’s 200 shortly after. In the mass 200-mile ride, 1,800 competitors are on the course representing all 50 US states, 53 countries and six continents.
Riders will be facing some harsh conditions, including “chunky gravel,” long patches of mud and the possibility of some showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. KVOE asked Thurman if he expects this to catch any of the riders off guard or cause any additional issues throughout the day.
He says the weather always plays a factor in the outcome, but it won’t shock anyone.
In recent years, Unbound has been a record-setting event with riders shattering previous speeds and times on multiple occasions across all distances. Thurman says administrators are not anticipating 2026 being a “record year,” but they’ve been surprised more than once before.
Stay tuned to KVOE throughout the day as we will be bringing you updates on the races on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media. For video from Friday and Saturday’s race launches, visit KVOE’s Facebook page or YouTube Channel.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon and Chuck Samples/KVOE News
