Ten unmissable gravel cycling events for 2025

When it comes to gravel events, the UK has a lot to offer, but there is even more choice if you look a bit further east and west.

Here is a list of events I highly recommend making your choice easier. I am organising some of those events myself or know the organisers. Others, like Mother North and QBC 500, were part of my travels in 2024.

And while this list does not claim to be the ‘ultimate list’, I can vouch that all events included will provide you with a great experience. To guide your choice, I have summed them up in one word – make your pick and sign up for 2025.

Contents

Reader Exclusive discount

We have kindly been given 20% off Dirt Dash events, exclusive to readers of our blog. Simply enter YJ25 when entering and your discount will be applied.

Dexshell Cateran Dirt Dash: 3 & 4 May (Scotland)

Named one of the travel highlights in the Guardian’s 2024 picks, the Cateran Trail is one of the best long-distance routes in Scotland. The Dexshell Cateran Dirt Dash, now in its third year, takes you on the best sections of the route through the stunning surroundings of the Cateran Ecomuseum in the Cairngorms National Park. The event has also attracted an equal share of women and men in recent years.

The concept of the Dirt Dashes is the same for each event: Arrive in a nice start location, cycle a scenic two-day gravel route which takes you past some pretty good vistas, enjoy the social side of bikepacking at the campsite, where nice food is served for dinner and breakfast, and make friends for future adventures. And if you don’t have a suitable bike, you can hire adventure-ready bikes and bags locally from Alyth Cyclery and stay at Forillon, the home of Bikepacking Scotland.

In one word: Spectacular

Cost: from £90

There are two more Dirt Dashes in 2025 – the Yorkshire Coast Dirt Dash on 5 & 6 July in Whitby and the Dunoon Dirt Dash on 27/28 September in Dunoon – prices start from £80 at dirtdash.cc.

Wild Wales Gravel Festival: 16 – 18 May (Wales)

Now in its fourth year, the Wild Wales Gravel Festival is a weekend of gravel riding, camping, live music, fireside chats, great food and company. All of this while you soak up the amazing mountains of Wales. For cycling, you will find 30, 45, 75 and 100 km route options, all self-guided with the GPX files provided.

There is a Sunday social group ride-out, and you can camp for three nights in a valley just below Afan forest, complete with its very own waterfall, wood-fired saunas and plunge pool. Two breakfasts and a dinner are included, with music on the Saturday evening and if you don’t have a suitable bike, you can hire one! On Saturday morning you can join the solo’s rendezvous breakfast, meet ride companions and join groups. And there are discounted tickets for low-income earners available.

In one word: Wholesome

Cost: £165

NEW The Gralloch Sportive: 18 May (Scotland)

The Gralloch has made itself a name in the last two years as one of the best events of the UCI Gravel World Series. This year Red On Sports added a fun option to the event, the Gralloch Sportive. Taking place the day after the UCI Gravel World Series race, this fun and non-competitive ride invites cyclists of all levels to explore the stunning landscapes of Galloway, soon to become Scotland’s next national park, at their own pace.

This is a good choice if you enjoy a fully marked route and would still like to compare your time, but without being ranked and rushed. And there is a great event programme featuring shakeout rides, live music, food, drink, camping and a vibrant event village providing the base to meet other riders and event supporters.

In one word: Vibrant

Cost: From £59.50

NEW Selkirk Gravel Classic: 31 May (Scotland)

The race is new, the organisers not – this is an event from the seasoned event professionals at Durty Events. With three distinct courses to choose from, the Selkirk Gravel Classic offers something for more seasoned gravel grinders and newcomers who really want to test their legs. The event certainly is a challenge; the climbing involved is not exactly for beginners – 900m on 35 km for the shortest, 52 km with 1,500m of climbing for the medium course and a whopping 1,950m on 65 km for the long course will give your legs no time out!

In one word: Steep!

Cost: From £30

Grit of Dunoon: 5 July (Scotland)

Dunoon is no stranger to gravel events, hosting the Dunoon Dirt Dash, Scotland’s longest running gravel event, since 2019. If you want to race though, then the second edition of Grit of Dunoon features three exciting ride options – challenge, explore and discover. You might not know anything about Dunoon, but from personal experience the small coastal town near Glasgow has a lot to offer – nice gravel tracks, beaches, hills and dense forest, all packed into one day of riding!

In one word: Stunning

Cost: TBA

Outsider Events also organise the excellent Muc N Mac Fest on 2 – 4 May. More at mucknmacfest.co.uk.

Gravel Rocks: 11 – 13 July (England)

Yorkshire is fast developing into a gravel hotspot with three new events popping up in the last year – the Yorkshire Coast Dirt Dash, Dalby Grit and Gravel Rocks. This is a two-day, enduro-style gravel race, with a nice festival atmosphere. Located in the North York Moors National Park you get to ride trails normally closed to the public. Gravel Rocks has seven stages, two of them in the dark on Friday night. The twist – the stages remain a mystery until you discover them on the route. And while the bikepacking events listed in this blog are very chilled out, this event promises rock’n’roll.

In one word: Loud

Cost: From £75

You might also be interested in Dalby Grit – a new 110km gravel event from the same organisers at Dalby Forest on 28 June. Find out more at www.dalbygrit.cc

NEW The BÀ Sportive & Duathlon: 6 September (Scotland)

Scottish endurance cyclist Jenny Graham enters the event game with The Bà Event Series in 2025, offering two challenges set on Scotland’s stunning Northwest Coast. Designed for seasoned athletes and adventurous souls, you can choose between two events: The Bà Sportive (formerly The Bealach Mòr), a sportive on a 144 km road route featuring the legendary Bealach Na Bà, one of the UK’s toughest climbs, which is closed to traffic for the event.

Mother North: 2 – 9 August (Norway)

Norway has great ferry, train and flight connections to almost everywhere in Europe – and starting in Lillehammer you’ll only have a short train journey to Oslo airport. You can race head down, but I would encourage you to take it easy. Mother North will show you some of the most breathtaking Norwegian landscapes, traversing remote trails, ancient forests, and pristine fjords. With 1,000 kilometres and 16,000 m of elevation gain on mixed terrain, this event is a test of physical endurance and a celebration of natural wonders, all while fostering a deep connection with the enchanting landscapes of Norway.

In one word: Deep

Cost: From £230

Off:Roader Norway: 19 – 24 Aug (Norway)

If you want to explore Norway, this ride from the snow-capped mountains of Jotunheimen and Utladalen to the breathtaking Fjords is just the ticket. Linking the historic routes of Mjølkevegen (the Milk Road), Kongevegen (the King’s Road) and the Rallarvegen (the Navvies Road), this is some of the smoothest and most spectacular gravel in Europe.

Included in the package are 5 nights in small hotels and mountain lodges, airport transfer from Oslo Gardermoen and to Bergen, 4 fully supported rides with guides leading small groups, van support & regular feed stops, meals and luggage transfers.

In one word: Breathtaking

Cost: From £2599

GBC 500: June (Quebec, Canada)

Quebec is awesome for gravel riding, and the Gravel Bikepacking Challenge (GBC) 500 is a great event to combine with a longer holiday. June is the best month to travel, as you are not in peak season, and the temperatures are more moderate than in July and August, it gets hot there! Based in Magog, not too far from Montreal and Quebec City, the GBC 500 offers a 250 km and 500 km option. Be warned – the gravel roads here are exceptional!

In one word: Adventurous

Dates and prices still to be announced at gbc500.com/en

And if you can’t make any of those events, you’ll find plenty of gravel inspiration in one of the gravel guidebooks from Vertebrate Publishing: Great British Gravel Rides, Gravel Rides Scotland, Gravel Rides South West England, Gravel Rides Lake District, Gravel Rides Peak District, and soon to come from me – Gravel Rides Cairngorms and Perthshire.