Need to know how to register for the UNBOUND Gravel XL and/or Leadville Trail 100? If you’re reading this anytime between now and Dec. 15, you made the entry window.
Stamping your ticket to the 350-mile UNBOUND Gravel XL or Leadville Trail 100 MTB race requires entering the lottery process. A handful of riders earn pre-qualification each year, based on their performances last year. But everyone else has to submit to the lotto.
Here’s all you need to know to throw your hat in the ring.
UNBOUND Gravel lottery entry process
The UNBOUND XL lottery runs through Thursday, Dec. 15 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Other races on the slate include 200-mile, 100-mile, 50-mile, and 25-mile distances. You can enter the lottery for those rides from Jan. 5, 2023 to Jan. 20, 2023.
The gun sounds at the race series itself on June 3, 2023. 60 riders compete each year at the Emporia, Kan. race.
XL LOTTERY IS OFFICIALLY OPEN! Throw your name in the hat here: https://t.co/kb78SwfSeA pic.twitter.com/lZHJeYCgey
— UNBOUND Gravel (@unboundgravel) December 1, 2022
Lottery registration for all UNBOUND events is free. However, you’ll submit your credit card information and UNBOUND will charge you if you get picked and choose to ride. See entry fees here:
- XL: $250
- 200: $290
- 100: $190
- 50: $80
- 25: $40
UNBOUND will select winning entries at the end of January, subject to eligibility requirements. The race organizer doesn’t get specific about those requirements, but basically, experience counts. For instance, it says it will “give consideration” for XL entry to multi-time UNBOUND Gravel 200 finishers nearing 1,000 Mile Club status.
“The entire selection and registration process shall be at the sole discretion of the event organizers, whose decisions and interpretations shall be final and binding.”
Keep it simple: click the button on the website and start clicking through the prompts.
Note that ways to skip the line without finishing near the front of the pack do exist. You can fund or raise funds for one of UNBOUND’s charity partners, or volunteer 10 hours at the 2023 race for a guaranteed spot in 2024, among other options.
Leadville Trail 100 MTB lottery entry process
The lottery for the Leadville Trail 100 is also active now through Dec. 15. The join-free, pay-on-selection process is identical to UNBOUND’s setup. Registration criteria is similar, too: event organizers hold full discretion, and their decisions are final.
If you think you’re tough enough, SO 💪 DO 💪 WE.
One ⌛ week remains to throw your name in the hat. The lottery closes on 12/15 at 11:59 PM MT. What are you waiting for?#RaceAcrossTheSky pic.twitter.com/TOYFOpxJYG
— LeadvilleRaceSeries (@LTRaceSeries) December 8, 2022
Individual and team entry options exist. The race costs $475 per athlete and takes place on Aug. 12, 2023. Note that the field is massive, compared to UNBOUND: around 1,600 riders take the line each year. The race is held in Leadville, Colo.
The signup process is more or less identical to UNBOUND’s. And like UNBOUND, you can get into the Leadville Trail 100 without entering the lottery, via multiple channels. Charity, volunteer, and other options exist. You can also get in by qualifying in one of several other races around the country, like the Austin Rattler MTB or the Lutsen 99er.
What are you waiting for? If you’re harboring headliner race ambitions in the new year, grab a credit card and get your name in the hopper.
