The first official gravel triathlon series in the U.S. will kick off this May. Eight races plus a National Championship fill out the slate; here’s what to expect.
It was only a matter of time before U.S.-based race organizers capitalized on the growing popularity of gravel biking. This year, the new USA Triathlon Gravel Series introduces a series of races throughout the nation, including a National Championship event.
The eight-stop tour starts on May 15 in Hewitt, N.J., and concludes on October 23 in Navasota, Texas. The USA Triathlon Gravel National Championships will be a separate event on June 3 in Fayetteville, Ark.
“Gravel cycling is growing incredibly fast, and the multisport community is positioned to take advantage of this trend by providing athletes with new and unique race formats and disciplines like gravel triathlon,” said Rocky Harris, CEO of USA Triathlon.
“USA Triathlon is proud to partner with local race directors across the country to create this exciting new series. As the national governing body for triathlon and multisport in the United States, we fully support gravel triathlon and other gravel multisport disciplines, and we look forward to being a part of its continued growth.”
The gravel tour also includes stops in Michigan, Colorado, Idaho, and California.
As opposed to road triathlons, the new races will avoid blacktop and instead stick to non-technical dirt roads and singletrack. Some events will take place on technical terrain — athletes can ride mountain bikes in the choppy stuff but don’t have to.
In fact, the rules don’t specify that the riders have to use any specific bike at all. Road, mountain, and gravel bikes are all fair game.
Here’s the schedule for the first USA Triathlon Gravel Series. To learn more, go to Team USA Triathlon’s website.
2022 USA Triathlon Gravel Series
- May 15, 2022 – Jersey Gravel Triathlon – Hewitt, N.J.
- June 18, 2022 – The Theoi – Donnelly, Idaho
- July 23, 2022 – Ugly Dog Gravel Tri – Chelsea, Mich.
- July 31, 2022 – Stagecoach Gravel Triathlon – Steamboat Springs, Colo.
- September 10, 2022 – The Gravel X Triathlon – Folsom, Calif.
- September 25, 2022 – The Dirty Mitten – Middleville, Mich.
- September 25, 2022 – XTERRA Laguna Beach – Laguna Beach, Calif.
- October 23, 2022 – Brick House Triathlon – Navasota, Texas
