Rural Minnesota is home to quite a few long standing gravel road races and in recent years many new events have started to become a yearly tradition with cyclists. With varying terrain, minimum maintenance roads, elevation changes, great rural scenery and unpredictable weather in the Spring and Fall, these events are sure to be fun and challenging. Some are free while others require registration fees. Almost all are unsupported requiring the participants to be their own repair and support crew.
This year's calendar will include all types of gravel races, rides and mixed surface events from around the state and just across the border. Some of these have registration cutoff dates, have a rider cap, or more information and registration details that are yet to be announced. Below is a list of all of the gravel events that I'm aware of in chronological order. I will continue to update and add events to this post as they become available. If you are a race or event organizer and would like your event listed here and on any of the listings on my Event Calendars page, please send me an e-mail.
April
Ragnarok 105-April 1, 2023
Red Wing, MN
105 miles
Postcard Registration (must be postmarked by December 31, 2022)
Fat & Happy-April 15, 2023
Square Lake Park
Stillwater, MN
Short Course-11.8 miles
Long Course-21.9 miles
Earth Day Gravel Grinder-April 22, 2023
Jack Ruhr Field
Miesville, MN
56 miles
May
Granny’s Gravel Grinder-May 6, 2023
Grandma’s House
Princeton, MN
100 miles, 50 miles, 50km
Hungry Bear 100-May 13, 2023
Cable, WI
100, 60, 30 miles
GRVL DRMA IV-May 20, 2023
Central Park
Northfield, MN
390, 165, 110, 55, 30 miles
Spring Valley 100 Gravel Bike Race-May 20, 2023
Grand Marais, MN
110, 54, 26 miles
June
Epic Bike Fest-June 9-11, 2023
American Birkebeiner Trailhead
Cable, WI
Epic Singletrack-June 10
37, 18 miles
Epic Gravel-June 11
75, 27 miles
Kasners Kick Duchenne Charitable Gravel Bike Ride-June 10, 2023
Rambling River Park
Farmington, MN
158, 79, 44, 17.9 miles
July
Freedhem Store
Little Falls, MN
106, 76, 46 miles
Hotdish 100-July 15, 2023
Winona, MN
100 miles, 50 miles, 50km
The Wolf-July 21-23, 2023
Two Harbors/Ely/Grand Marais/Two Harbors
320 miles
August
Gritty Goose Gravel Grinder-August 12, 2023
Monticello, MN
70, 50, 35 miles
Hollo Gravel Classic-August 12, 2023
Battle Lake, MN
66 miles
Postcard entries accepted June 1-August 1, 2023
Bridge the Valley Bike Rally-August 13, 2023
Chestnut Plaza
Stillwater, MN
70, 45, 25, 10 miles
75 mile GRAVEL Challenge
September
Colesburg Back 40-September 3, 2023
Colesburg, IA
204, 102, 58, 44, 29 miles
Hodag Country Ramble-September 8-10, 2023
Northfield, MN
112, 57, 54, 26, 10 miles
58, 31 miles gravel
Winston County Gravel Cup-September 23, 2023
Houston Nature Center
Houston, MN
100, 60, 40 miles
Heck of the North-September 30, 2023
Northland Community & Technical College
Thief River Falls, MN
62, 25 miles gravel, 30 miles paved
October
Gray Duck Grit-October 6-7, 2023
Northfield, MN
333, 222, 111, 69 miles
Online registration opens May 1, 2023
The Filthy 50-October 14, 2023
Lanesboro, MN
100, 50, 25 miles
Online registration opens June 21, 2023