Since the Iowa Gravel Series began, we’ve had a policy to change courses depending on the weather. So for every race we have a “dirty” or “dry” route that includes a variety of terrain. We also have a “clean” or “wet” route in case things get messy… in fact we’ve even created “very wet” routes for some of our races when needed (thinking of you Glenwood Gravel 2022). We also don’t post the route until the Wednesday before the race so that we have time to consider the weather conditions, ride the course, and make adjustment before race day on Saturday.

If you’re curious about the course, reach out to us and we’ll give you as much information as we can so you can prepare.

One of the reasons we do this is that we feel the series is not usually the pinnacle event of a season or a lifetime. At least not yet. Our goal is to get you out on some spectacular roads with great people and keep you and your equipment in good shape so you want to come back for more! More on the series, more races and rides at other events. We want to keep you hungry and excited. We want people to sign up for an Iowa Gravel Series race to train for bigger things, to prepare, to learn and grow in cycling. You can practice and train on your own, but you also need to go to events, stretch yourself, race against others to really prepare for the next big thing.

So, while other races might put you through miles of mud (and to be clear, we’re okay with that; no judgement), we won’t because we want you to sign up for those other things. We just don’t feel like we need to be the event where your derailleur gets ripped off from mud or you get trench foot on a hike-a-bike.

Endurance sports are all about enduring… in all its various forms. And you can compete against others in enduring more or compete against yourself to see how far you can go. We love and encourage that and will support you along your way. For the Iowa Gravel Series that means giving you a course that makes it a great day in the saddle for everyone.