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The hardest gravel races to get into
These races pick riders by lottery or have a documented history of selling out. Lotteries come first, then sell-out races by race date. If you want in, set an alert before registration opens.
Last checked: . Routes and prices change, so confirm on each race's official site.
Lottery races plus first-come races with a documented sell-out. 11 other first-come races cap entries but have no sell-out record in our data yet, so they're not listed.
| # | Race | Where | Race date | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UNBOUND GravelLottery-only for all distances due to demand (organizer). | Emporia, KS | Jun 5, 2027 | Lottery |
| 2 | SBT GRVLRandom-selection entry used for 2027 (3,000-rider field). | Steamboat Springs, CO | Jun 27, 2027 | Lottery |
| 3 | Leadville Trail 100 MTBLottery window Dec 1, 2026 to Dec 15, 2026. | Leadville, CO | Aug 14, 2027 | Lottery |
| 4 | Grinduro PennsylvaniaAll 2026 BikeReg categories showed Sold Out before the race. | Lock Haven, PA | Jul 18, 2026 last known | Sells out |
| 5 | Dust Bowl 1002026 sold out (organizer: 'officially sold out'); field raised from 1,200 (2025) to 1,400 riders, then waitlist only. Aggregators say 2025 sold out in 2 days. | Eminence, IN | Jul 25, 2026 last known | Sells out |
| 6 | Vermont OverlandOrganizer: 'strong history of selling out registration in minutes to hours on opening day'; waitlist when sold out. | West Windsor, VT | Aug 15, 2026 last known | Sells out |
| 7 | Big Sugar Gravel100-mile reported to sell out quickly with a later waitlist (Off Road Index). | Bentonville, AR | Oct 17, 2026 last known | Sells out |
| 8 | Orange Blossom GravelEvery spot sold in just over two hours after registration opened Aug 1, 2026 (cap raised to ~300 for 2027). No official waitlist (organizer). | Avon Park, FL | Jan 23, 2027 | Sells out |
| 9 | Castell GrindTypically sells out in about an hour, then waitlist; each distance strictly capped (organizer). | Castell, TX | Apr 10, 2027 | Sells out |
| 10 | Oregon Trail Gravel GrinderReported to sell out with a waitlist (aggregator). | Bend / Sisters, OR | Jul 11, 2027 | Sells out |
Course figures come from each race's published route (mostly the 2026 edition) as shown on its race page, where we list the sources. Where an organizer gives a rounded number ("about 6,000 ft"), we rank by that number and show it as published. Spot a wrong number? Organizers can send us a correction.