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Gravel race packing list by distance

Last checked: Oct 23, 2026. Aid-station details come from each race's published course info, linked on its race page. Organizers change aid every year, so confirm in the rider guide before you pack.

Start here: how far apart is the aid?

The single most useful number for packing is the longest gap between places you can refill. Here's what organizers publish for a few courses we track. Where they list feed-zone mile markers, we did the subtraction for you.

"Longest gap" is calculated from published feed-zone mile markers (start to first zone, between zones, last zone to finish). "Not published" means the organizer hasn't given the figure; we don't estimate it.

Two things jump out. At Barry-Roubaix, the longest gap on the 100-mile Psycho Killer course is the very first one: 35.4 miles to the first feed zone, so start with full bottles and food in your pockets. At UNBOUND Gravel, the 200's age-group checkpoints sit at mi 42, 100.3 and 160, so you ride almost 60 miles between checkpoints (water-only oases at mi 64 and 189 help). Crews can only meet you at checkpoints.

The flat kit you carry at every distance

This doesn't change with distance. A 30-mile race can end at mile 8 with a slashed tire just as easily as a 200 can.

• Tubeless plugs and the tool to set them. Most gravel flats on tubeless setups are small holes that sealant can't close fast enough on its own.
• A spare tube that fits your tire size, plus tire levers. When a plug won't hold, a tube gets you home.
• Inflation: a mini pump, CO2 cartridges with a head, or both.
• Multi-tool with a chain breaker, and a spare quick link that matches your chain.
• A tire boot (or a folded energy-bar wrapper or dollar bill in a pinch) for a sidewall cut.
• Phone, ID, a card and some cash. Small-town stores on many courses are cash-friendly, and you'll want ID if something goes wrong.

Under 50 miles

Only 2 of the races we track top out under 50 miles (Grasshopper: Jackson Forest, Rock Cobbler), but nearly every race has a short option, like the 25s and 50s at Unbound or Big Sugar. Riding one? Here's the list.

• On the bike: two bottles, the flat kit above in a saddle bag or top-tube bag.
• In your pockets: two or three gels or bars, phone, a light layer if the forecast is cool or wet.
• Leave at home: hydration pack, extra spares. You're rarely more than an hour or two from the finish.

50 to 99 miles

This is the biggest group: 48 races we track have a longest course in this range, including Highlands Gravel Classic (68 mi, 5,603 ft) and Crusher in the Tushar (69.9 mi, 10,000+ ft, no outside support anywhere on course). You'll be out long enough for one bad gap or a mechanical to matter.

• On the bike: two big bottles plus room for a third, or a hydration pack if the gaps are long or it's hot. A top-tube bag for food you can reach while riding.
• Food: enough for every hour you expect to be out, even if there's aid. Aid stations run out, and the food might not agree with you.
• Extras: a second CO2 or the pump, more plugs, chain lube for dusty or wet days, sunscreen.
• Clothing: a vest or wind jacket for long descents. Crusher drops about 4,000 ft into Piute Valley before the Col d'Crush.

100 to 149 miles

35 races, including The Mid South, SBT GRVL, Big Sugar Gravel and WYO-131. Now you're packing for most of a day. This is where a frame bag earns its keep.

• Water: three bottles, or two plus a hydration pack. On hot courses, refill at every stop even if you're not empty.
• Food: a plan for every hour, carried in bags you can reach without stopping. Pack more than the plan, and something salty.
• Drop bag or crew bag (where allowed): fresh bottles, the next few hours of food, sunscreen, chain lube, a dry pair of socks and gloves. At The Mid South crews can meet you at Guthrie (mi 61); at Big Sugar Gravel only at the Pineville and Rockford Grange aid stations.
• Lights: a small rear light at minimum. If your expected finish is anywhere near sunset, bring a front light too.
• Navigation: load the course file on a bike computer. Markings get pulled or vandalized, and a wrong turn at mile 90 is brutal.

150 miles and beyond

10 races we track have a course of 150 miles or more: Croatan Buck Fifty, Gravel Worlds, Iowa Wind and Rock, Michigan Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder, Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder, Red Granite Grinder, Roughneck Gravel Roubaix, Scratch Ankle Gravel, UNBOUND Gravel, unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley. At this distance you need to be able to look after yourself for long stretches, and often through dark.

• Water capacity for the longest gap in the heat of the afternoon. For many riders that means a hydration pack or a frame bag with a bladder.
• Lights and battery: a front light that lasts as long as you might ride in the dark, a rear light, and a battery pack and cable for your computer and phone.
• Calories: real food as well as gels. Your stomach will want something different by hour ten.
• Self-care kit: chamois cream, sunscreen, any meds, and a small first-aid kit.
• Layers: temperatures can swing a lot from a dawn start to a midnight finish.

Self-supported races: carry it all

Some courses have no aid at all. On these, everything above applies and you also need to know where the stores and water are. Races in our data that describe a course as self-supported: Crazy 8 Gravel Hundo, Iowa Wind and Rock, Scratch Ankle Gravel, Spring Valley Wilder 100 (formerly Almanzo 100), UNBOUND Gravel. The Spring Valley Wilder 100 (formerly Almanzo 100)'s Wilder 100 and Crazy 8 Gravel Hundo's Gravel course list no aid stations, and Iowa Wind and Rock is cue-sheet navigated over about 340 miles with checkpoints and cutoffs but no aid stations. On Crusher in the Tushar and Unbound XL, no outside support is allowed anywhere on course.

Want the deep dive? Our sister site's buying guides: Best hydration packs · Best cycling computers (The Gear Stash).

Picking a race by distance? See the longest gravel races, the best races for first-timers and the races with the most climbing on our Gravel Index. Then get your tires matched to the terrain.

Course figures come from each race's published route as shown on its race page, where we list sources. The Gravel Stash isn't affiliated with any race listed here.