For those looking to secure a spot for the 2022 Life Time’s Garmin UNBOUND Gravel race, get ready — the lottery opens January 5th. The 200, 100, 50, and 25-mile race distances are all in the lottery and sure to fill up fast. It’s crazy to register for a race in January that doesn’t happen until June, but UNBOUND’s popularity has made it a necessity — it must be one hell of a race.
Athletes interested in riding are not guaranteed a spot by entering the lottery. The winners of the random drawing win a chance to register. The lottery closes on January 18th, and the winners will be notified on January 26th.
Entry Fees:
- XL – $200
- 200 – $270
- 100 – $160
- 50 – $50
- 25 – $35
- HS Race – $40
This year UNBOUND is a part of the recently announced Life Time Grand Prix race series. The series will feature 60 elite riders (not part of the lottery) to a series of six races featuring both mountain bike and gravel events. The total prize purse for the series of $250,000 (equally split among male and female competitors) brings some big names to the gravel scene.
The elite men’s field mixes cycling disciplines, including gravels staples Ashton Lambie, Colin Strickland, and Payson McElveen. The $250,000 prize purse even attracted retired World Tour attention, with road rockets like Alex Howes, Lachlan Morton, Pete Stetina, and Ted King registered. Don’t count out the mountain bikers, Keegan Swenson, Howard Grotts, and Russell Finsterwald are all committed to the series and know how to suffer in the heat.
For the elite women’s field, the talent and variety rival that of the men with Olympians, world champions, and newly retired World Tour riders in the mix. Mountain bike royalty like Erin Huck, Lea Davison, Sofia Gomez Villafañe, and Katerina Nash will keep everyone on their toes. Some names that might be new to the gravel scene, like Kathy Pruitt (world champion downhiller), and time trialist Amber Neben are sure to put in killer rides. At the same time, recently retired Trek-Segafredo roadie Ruth Winder has more than enough skills and legs to take the series. The racing will be exciting — that’s for sure.
If you’re looking to register for the UNBOUND lottery, you can find more information and detailed lottery selection rules at unboundgravel.com. The 2022 UNBOUND Gravel will take place on June 4th.
