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Cycling racesThese gravel races will still be taking place in 2026

Sandra Schuberth

 · 17.06.2026

Cycling races: These gravel races will still be taking place in 2026Photo: Miha Matavz
Gravel is booming – and as it booms, the racing calendar is expanding. What began as a niche format has, in just a few years, developed into a discipline in its own right, with an international race series, a national championship and hundreds of events. In many gravel races, professional and amateur riders compete side by side, with the routes taking them along gravel, forest tracks and unpaved paths off the beaten track.

Internationally, the UCI Gravel World Series provides the framework: 47 races worldwide, including two qualifiers in Germany – anyone who finishes in the top 25 per cent of their age group in 2026 will be eligible to compete at the World Championships in Australia in October. In Germany, the German Gravel League (GGL) has also been running since 2026; this is a new national race series organised in cooperation with German Cycling, comprising five rounds under standardised competition rules. Alongside this, there is a growing number of traditional amateur races – small-scale, officially organised, with timekeeping, and without an international umbrella organisation. Gravel races are also offered as part of many mountain bike marathons.

For anyone still wanting to take part in 2026: here are the dates of gravel races taking place in and around Germany in 2026.

An overview of the 2026 gravel races

DateEventPlaceDetailsType
3–5 JulyGravelmania Stage RaceLauchhammer, BrandenburgGerman Gravel League Round 3; Multi-day stage raceGerman Gravel League
5 JulyHegau Gravel RaceSingen, GermanyUCI Gravel Series; 54 / 108 kmUCI Gravel World Series
11 JulyGravel TrailsGelbensande near Rostock39 / 97 km; Rostocker Heide; gravel & sandRace
12 JulyThe Majestics GravelVillars, SwitzerlandUCI Gravel Series; 107 km; alpineUCI Gravel World Series
12 JulySauerland GravelOlsberg-Bruchhausen, North Rhine-WestphaliaGerman Gravel League Round 4; 35 / 70 / 105 kmGerman Gravel League
17–19 July3rides Gravel WinterbergWinterberg, North Rhine-WestphaliaUCI Gravel Series (race on Sunday 19 July); 88 / 129 kmUCI Gravel World Series
24–26 JulyRad am Ring – Gravel German ChampionshipsNürburgring, Rhineland-PalatinateGerman Championship; 50 / 100 / 125 km; NordschleifeDM
15 AugustSKS Sauerland Marathon – GravelSchmallenberg CountyGravel category in the MTB MarathonRace
29–30 AugustSparkassen HeideGravelTaura near Torgau30 / 60 / 100 km; former DM route 2025; campingFestival
5 SeptemberThe WolfDronninglund, DenmarkUCI Gravel Series; 55 / 90 / 120 kmUCI Gravel World Series
12 SeptemberRose Scary GravelHerten, GermanyRace on the Hoheward slag heap as part of the Gravel Ground FestivalRace
11–13 SeptemberRennsteig Gravel OberhofOberhof, ThuringiaGerman Gravel League, Round 5; 41 / 62 / 102 km; Biathlon ArenaGerman Gravel League
13 SeptemberBlack Forest Bike MarathonFurtwangenScherzinger Gravel Cup: 57 km; running alongside the MTB raceRace
19 SeptemberSea Otter Europe, GironaGirona, SpainUCI Gravel Series (race on Sat 19 Sept); 107 kmUCI Gravel World Series
26 SeptemberSaint Gravel, St GallenSt Gallen, SwitzerlandPremiere; 30 km / 800 metres of elevation gain around the TannenbergRace
17 OctoberDeißlinger Gravel RaceDeßlingen, Baden-Württemberg2nd edition; part of the 3 Lions Gravel seriesRace
25 OctoberPannonia GravelWinden am See, Austria40 and 73 kmRace

As at June 2026. All information is provided without guarantee – please check with the organiser directly for any changes.

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Sandra Schuberth

Sandra Schuberth, sometimes an after-work ride, sometimes a training ride, sometimes an unsupported bikepacking challenge. The main thing is her and her gravel bike - away from the traffic. Seven Serpents, Badlands or Bright Midnight: she has finished challenging bikepacking races. Gravel and bikepacking are her favourite subjects, and her demands on equipment are high. What she rides, uses and recommends has to stand the test of time: not in marketing, but in real life.

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