Unbound Gravel was built to be epic. When it was first ridden in 2006, the event lacked all the trappings of an elite sporting event. In fact, it was built as an antidote to what existed, offering instead an all-day, all-consuming, self-supported adventure in the beautiful and barren Flint Hills of Kansas.
From a glorified group ride that was run on printed-out queue sheets and visits to general stores, the event has grown to the elite event that it is today. Yet, a certain degree of self-sufficiency, bike-fixing know-how and sense of adventure is still required. Organizers even demand that riders in many of the race distances bring or hire a support crew to get them back to Emporia, should something go awry.
