Gravel Championships
Gravel Championships for the UK
UK Gravel racing fans celebrate, we have Gravel Championships galore! 2025 sees a major milestone in British gravel racing: there are now national gravel championships in England, Scotland, and Wales. While there has been a British National Championship since 2021, these two new events mark a step forward for the sport.
While the British event is the oldest of the trio, it sits outside of the official national federations. This is down to it’s originators, Red On Sports seeing the demand for the event before British Cycling showed any interest. However let’s ignore any federation nonsense and just enjoy the fact that the sport is growing.
While not everyone wants to race, those of us that do have not had many opportunities. Previously races have come and gone, with organisers struggling with Covid, lack of suitable venues and low turnouts. However the aforementioned Red On managed to avoid those problems with the Gralloch and British National Champs.
Gravel Championships – finding a venue
Despite the UK’s unique challenges – finding a course where cycling is allowed – gravel racing has carved out a growing fanbase. In most parts of the country, off-road racing is prohibited on the very trails gravel riders typically train on. This makes it difficult to design long, uninterrupted courses that mirror the epic gravel events seen in the US or mainland Europe. Yet, determination and creativity have prevailed.
Thanks to the work of organisers and supportive landowners, promoters have found a way to create races like the Exeter Gravel, Sherpa Gravel or Thetford Forest Trophy. This means using private estates, forestry land, and lesser-known public access areas to eke out a course. While this can result in races with shorter laps that aren’t always the prettiest, it allows us to exorcise our competitive demons in between trips to the ‘bigger’ events.
Gravel Championships
So if you feel the need to rub your mate’s noses in it the next time you’re out on a ride, enter a National Gravel Championships race! While you may baulk at racing against young pros fresh from racing World Tour events, worry not. All the events will also include age-based categories for all. Details for the three British events are below.
- Scottish Gravel Championships – 16 August Turbine Traverse 2025: GrALBA Series Round 4
- Welsh Gravel Championships – 23 August Gravel Fondo Cymru – Welsh Gravel Championships
- British Gravel Championships – 12-14 September 2025 at Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire.
- Northern Ireland – TBC…
Each event showcases the stunning and varied terrain the UK does offer, from dense woodlands to open moorland. These events prove that gravel racing has a future here; even if the route to growth is a little bumpier than elsewhere.
What bike?
Ahh the perennial question, “what bike do I need?” and “what tyres?” Well, it is a gravel champs, so you should really be riding a gravel bike. However, what exactly is a gravel bike nowadays? We’ve gone from just taking our cyclo-cross bikes on longer rides in the off-season, to full-suss MTB/gravel hybrids. The good thing about gravel racing is that there is no restriction – yet – on what type of bike you use. Personally I’m using Handsling’s CEXevo, a carbon-fibre speed-merchant that is as happy flying down a gravel descent as it is churning the mud in a muddy field in winter.
As to what tyres you need? Well that’s a whole other question that is already responsible for gigabytes of waffle on a data-centre somewhere! My advice is to just get out there and ride what you have as fast as you can. You can also have a look through our tyres section to see what we’ve been using.
What nationality?
While anyone can ride any of the National Gravel Championships, you have to meet certain criteria to battle for the jersey. Take a look at each event’s rules and you’ll find what hoops you need to jump through to qualify.
With national titles on the line and increasing interest from grassroots riders to elite racers, it’s clear: gravel is no longer just a trend in the UK. So, if you’ve got the grit, the gearing and a love for getting off the beaten path, there’s never been a better time to get involved.
