Want to catch the action from many of the world's most audacious and prominent gravel races without getting the dirt and grime splashed on your face? This wasn't even an option three years ago, but now the new viewing options are opening up.
Early adopters for live streaming included US races Life Time Unbound Gravel 200 in Kansas and Lauf Gravel Worlds in Nebraska. In 2022, three of the Life Time Grand Prix events - Sea Otter Fuego XC, Unbound Gravel 200 and Crusher in the Tushar - attempted broadcasts but remote courses led to technical challenges which caused Life Time to pull the plug and only use social media posts for the final events.
By 2024, Lauf Gravel Worlds was one of the first races to launch a robust live stream for the pro fields at the 150-mile race in Nebraska, using action from start to finish on rough, secluded roads using extended flight-time drones, as well as stationary cameras mounted to jeeps. The race returns with a full production on their YouTube channel on August 22.
A pair of US races to watch online around the world on August 15 are the Gravel Earth Series stop in Iowa at CORE4 and the third stop of the Life Time Grand Prix at Leadville Trail 100 MTB. Leadville will have a full start-to-finish broadcast for elite men and women, while CORE4 will feature live updates using Instagram stories.
Stay tuned to Cyclingnews as we provide frequent updates on which events will offer live feeds for off-road races around the world.
Gravel Earth Series
The Gravel Earth Series hoped to have live streaming for most of the 11 events, but focused on the two-day stage race, Santa Vall in Girona, Spain for their official video platform at GravelEarthSeries.TV.
On August 15, GES returns to the US for CORE4 in Iowa, where last year Rosa Klöser battled to the sprint win against Geerike Schreurs in the women's division. Julien Gagne beat fellow Canadian Adam Roberge on the muddy course for the men's victory.
This year will feature an updated course from Iowa City, with cameras and crew catching the action on Instagram stories - CORE4.bike - from all-terrain vehicles, motos, drones, and a helicopter once again. Amanda Nauman will call the action of the men's race while The Holy Spirit of Gravel will provide insights from the women's race.
"We're seeing a really strong next-gen of gravel pros emerging, and we still have a lot of teams from Europe coming to CORE4, like The Grip with Mattia De Marchi. And Geerike Schreurs of Specialized Off-road will lead the women's field," Alex Buhmeyer, race director and founder, told Cyclingnews.
"We'll have a flying drone, a helicopter and doing a lot of that cinematography to capture that close-up action. All of this is being uploaded on Instagram stories our account, or and also Gravel Earth Series."
The prize purse has increased to $15,000, split evenly between women and men, funded by River Products Company and the Iowa City Sports Commission.
Life Time Grand Prix
Four of the six races in this year's Life Time Grand Prix will provide live coverage for the 2026 season, that began with Sea Otter Classic gravel race in April and concludes with Big Sugar Classic in October.
Organisers Life Time used support from Orange Seal last year for broadcasts at signature events Unbound Gravel 200 and Leadville Trail 100 MTB, bringing live action from the front of both the men's and women's races with multiple cameras on the course and aloft in the sky.
"It’s amazing to see helicopters and drones following races like Unbound and Big Sugar. It’s something I never imagined in gravel just five years ago," former Unbound Gravel 200 winner Lauren De Crescenzo told Cyclingnews last year.
Elite men begin the action at 6:00 a.m. MDT from Leadville, with the elite women starting 10 minutes later. Cameras roll for the full length of the pro races again this year and the Life Time YouTube channel can be found here.
Due to wildfires in the Leadville area at the end of June, Life Time is working on a revised route for the the 100-mile endurance event, which will still start and finish at 10,152 feet (3,095 meters) above sea level in Leadville and include the signature Columbine climb.
Lauf Gravel Worlds
The first official race for Lauf Gravel Worlds took place in 2010 with 100 participants in Lincoln, Nebraska, and now offers multiple routes for thousands of pros and amateurs alike. Lauf Gravel Worlds takes centre stage again on August 22.
Even though the starts of the elite races - pro men at 6:25 a.m. CDT and pro women at 6:35 a.m. CDT - take place before sunrise, cameras are rolling and announcers provide details for the entirety of both races, last year more than eight hours on their YouTube channel.
"Not long ago, gravel racing lived in stories told at the finish line. If you weren’t there, you only saw glimpses through Instagram live streams or story updates. Bringing live coverage to the sport with the incredible Beyond Better Coaching (BBC) broadcast team changed that," Sofia Gibson, assistant lead promoter of Lauf Gravel Worlds, told Cyclingnews.
"It allows the world to see professional gravel racing as it actually unfolds, revealing just how unpredictable, tactical, and exciting the discipline has become. Fans now see the work required not only to win, but simply to finish a race like Gravel Worlds."
Matt Beers and Rosa Klöser won the elite titles in 2025 in Nebraska.
Broadcast schedule for gravel races for mid-July and August 2026
Date |
Race |
Start Time |
Location |
Channel(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
July 19 |
FoCo Fondo |
6:00 a.m. MDT |
Fort Collins, Colorado |
YouTube |
August 1 |
Megre Gravel |
10:00 a.m. EET |
Anyksciai, Lithuania |
Gravel Earth Series TV |
August 15 |
CORE4 |
8:00 a.m. CDT |
Iowa City, Iowa |
Instagram stories (CORE4.bike and GravelEarthSeries) |
August 15 |
Leadville Trail 100 MTB |
6:00 a.m. MDT |
Leadville, Colorado |
Life Time YouTube |
August 22 |
Lauf Gravel Worlds |
6:25 a.m. CDT |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
YouTube |
