Unbound Gravel administrators are finally unwinding after an epic 20th anniversary event three weeks ago.
Athlete Services Manager Treva Anno says close to 5,000 riders left Emporia for the various cycling distances, with about 77 percent returning despite rapid changes in conditions due to occasional thunderstorm activity throughout the weekend. Anno says there were other measures of growth between the 2025 and 2026 Unbounds.
Unbound is all about adaptability and resilience, and Marketing Specialist Linnea Mowry saw a case study during the XL 350.
Anno says the All Things Gravel Expo also had record involvement after moving from Mechanic to Commercial streets.
Mowry says a key tracker of the worldwide reach of Unbound is social media, and there were some big numbers for the races.
While Life Time, Unbound’s parent company, still has races on its calendar this year — including Crusher in the Tushar on July 11 and Big Sugar Gracel on Oct 17 — plans have already started for Unbound 2027. Races will be June 4-5, with related events starting June 3. The lottery is tentatively set for early November.
