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The steepest gravel races: most climbing per mile
Total climbing favors long races, so this list divides each race's published climbing by its distance. We use the longest course (20 mi or more) that has both figures published.
Last checked: . Routes and prices change, so confirm on each race's official site.
Ranked from published course stats. 74 of the 101 races we track have both a published distance and climbing figure for a course of 20+ mi; the other 27 aren't included, and we show the top 20. We never estimate a missing number.
| Rank | Race | Where | Race date | Climbing per mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crusher in the TusharCrusher: 69.9 mi, 10,000+ ft of climbing | Beaver, UT | TBA | about 143 ft/mi |
| 2 | Grinduro CaliforniaGrinduro: 51 mi, 7,200 ft of climbing | Quincy, CA | Sep 12, 2026 last known | 141 ft/mi |
| 3 | Crazy 8 Gravel HundoGravel: 108 mi, 14,500 ft of climbing | Ripton, VT | May 23, 2027 | 134 ft/mi |
| 4 | Grasshopper: Jackson ForestJackson Forest Hopper: 32 mi, 4,138 ft of climbing | Caspar, CA | Apr 10, 2027 | 129 ft/mi |
| 5 | Leavenworth Bike FestLong course: 58 mi, 7,400 ft of climbing | Leavenworth, WA | Jun 20, 2026 last known | 128 ft/mi |
| 6 | Pisgah Monster-Cross ChallengeMonster-Cross: 69.2 mi, 8,777 ft of climbing | Pisgah Forest, NC | Sep 11, 2027 | 127 ft/mi |
| 7 | Vermont OverlandThe Overland: 50 mi, 6,100 ft of climbing | West Windsor, VT | Aug 15, 2026 last known | 122 ft/mi |
| 8 | Leadville Trail 100 MTBLeadville Trail 100 MTB: 100 mi, about 12,000 ft of climbing | Leadville, CO | Aug 14, 2027 | about 120 ft/mi |
| 9 | Ned GravelTungsten: 70 mi, 8,300 ft of climbing | Nederland, CO | TBA | 119 ft/mi |
| 10 | Bighorn GravelRam's Horn Escape: 85 mi, 10,000 ft of climbing | Gypsum, CO | Jun 19, 2027 | 118 ft/mi |
| 11 | RELIANCE Deep Woods Gravel GrinderSaturday long race: 70 mi, 8,100 ft of climbing | Reliance, TN | Apr 23, 2027 | 116 ft/mi |
| 12 | D2R2 Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnee180K: 180K (~115 mi with the new start), about 13,000 ft of climbing | Greenfield, MA | Aug 22, 2026 last known | about 113 ft/mi |
| 13 | Grasshopper: Low GapLong Course: 59 mi, 6,585 ft of climbing | Ukiah, CA | Jan 31, 2027 | 112 ft/mi |
| 14 | Grasshopper: Ukiah-Mendo Gravel EpicLong Course: 76 mi, 8,420 ft of climbing | Ukiah, CA | May 23, 2027 | 111 ft/mi |
| 15 | Southern Cross50 mile: 50 mi, about 5,500 ft of climbing | Dahlonega, GA | Mar 6, 2027 | about 110 ft/mi |
| 16 | Grasshopper: King RidgeLong Course: 91 mi, 9,116 ft of climbing | Monte Rio, CA | Mar 20, 2027 | 100 ft/mi |
| 16 | RasputitsaRasputitsa: 53 mi, 5,300+ ft of climbing | Jay, VT | TBA | about 100 ft/mi |
| 18 | KowTown GravelBull: 87 mi, 8,542 ft of climbing | Kremmling, CO | Jun 12, 2027 | 98 ft/mi |
| 18 | Roughneck Gravel RoubaixThe McClintock: 101.9 mi, about 10,000 ft of climbing | Titusville, PA | May 29, 2027 | about 98 ft/mi |
| 20 | Farmer's Daughter Gravel GrinderFarmer's Daughter: about 62–65 mi, about 6,000–6,400 ft of climbing | Chatham, NY | May 16, 2027 | about 97 ft/mi |
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.