Focal Events, organisers of the popular Panaracer Dirty Reiver, Scott Frontier 300 and crankbrothers Gravel Rocks events, has announced a new gravel race in the 2025 calendar – Dalby Grit.

Heading to the North York Moors National Park, the event, held over the weekend of 27-29th June, marks a welcome return to gravel racing in England after a fallow year in 2024.

The race will bring together some of the sport’s best gravel riders from at home and abroad, all descending on Yorkshire to do battle over 110km of access roads and forest trails within the expansive Dalby Forest.

After the action, the community element of the gravel scene flourishes with an evening festival atmosphere enticing riders to stay for the weekend and join social shakedown rides on Sunday.

“We’re very excited to finally lift the lid on plans for Dalby Grit as it’s something we’ve been working hard on, alongside the Forestry England team on site, for some time now, aiming to bring gravel racing back to England,” explained event director, Bryan Singleton.

“Dalby Forest provides the perfect race setting, with its pristine gravel and rolling parcours, for the very best gravel riders to descend upon and race head-to-head.”

The 110km race route will feature a testing 1800m of total ascent, with climbs and technical descents to navigate each lap across a fully off-road route of tracks and trails.

Alongside the Pro/Elite race, there will also be rider classes for ages 18 and above, across both men’s and women’s categories.

Race entries start from £80 per rider, at early bird pricing. This includes riding across three days with practice sessions available on the Friday ahead of racing on Saturday and social rides on Sunday.

Yorkshire firmly on the cycling map

After cycling events such as the Tour de France’s Grand Depart, the men’s and women’s Tour de Yorkshire, and many other national elite races across multiple disciplines, Dalby Grit is the latest addition to Yorkshire’s impressive bike racing heritage.

“Dalby Grit is for the racers,” added Singleton. “This is really the event for those wanting to let loose their competitive spirit and test their skills against the country’s best riders. It’s the natural addition to our portfolio, one that offers something for everyone whilst each carrying the same DNA – elite organisation, hand-selected routes and activities beyond just the riding.”

Events details, including entry, can be found at https://www.dalbygrit.cc/.

Focal Events, founders of leading UK gravel cycling events including Dirty Reiver and Frontier 300, have officially opened entries for the Gravel Rocks event next summer.

Taking place on the weekend of July, 13 to 15, Gravel Rocks returns for its second year in 2025, bigger and better after establishing itself on the calendar this year.

With a unique format that spans seven stages of racing across two days, followed by social rides on the Sunday, Gravel Rocks offers an enduro-style gravel race which locks horns with a festival atmosphere.

Held on the exclusive Duncombe Park Estate in the North Yorkshire Moors, the private landscape usually closed to the public features off-road riding from a mix of gravel to flowing singletrack.

The event offers something different to the rest of the calendar, from mystery timed segment locations to the weekend’s soundtrack of rock ‘n’ roll, ​ and Friday night’s Gravel Rocks In The Dark stages – a 10km ride with two timed sections to set the tone and rankings for day one.

Saturday then features the biggest stage of the weekend with a prologue-style start kicking off an 45 – 80km loop depending on your preference, including five timed segments.

Combined times will then count towards the results and the final podium.

Bryan Singleton, event director at Focal Events, commented on this year’s Gravel Rocks event: “You’ll be hard pushed to find a backdrop like we’ve got at Gravel Rocks and fortunately the location has taken to the event meaning we’ve expanded on what we introduced to riders this summer.

“With the event, we’ve created something a bit different to your standard gravel race or multi-stage weekend event, with a few twists along the way and a real festival atmosphere across the weekend for everyone to enjoy.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming hundreds more riders over the course of the weekend next July and showcasing the epic gravel riding that’s available around Duncombe Park Estate.”

Entries are now open, starting from £75 and free family activities too.

Gravel Rocks event partners for 2025 include lead sponsor Crankbrothers, alongside Ergon, Exposure and Tifosi, as well as event partners Panaracer, POC, Clif, Topeak, Wahoo, Scott, Motorex, Spookton Brew Co and North York Moors National Park.

PaceUp and Focal Events have partnered to elevate marketing and communications around the Focal Events series.

Focal Events has engaged PaceUp to deliver strategic marketing and communication services across the brand, including the recent addition to its portfolio, Gravel Rocks, a weekend celebration of gravel riding and racing set to a festival atmosphere.

“We’ve worked with Bryan and Neil at Focal Events through a number of client partners who sponsor events in their portfolio, and have seen first-hand how great their events are,” explained PaceUp director, Tom Copeland.

“We got together and identified a growth marketing strategy to develop the brand and event portfolio, something we’re excited to build upon.”

PaceUp will also support growth across Focal Events’ wider, growing portfolio of events which includes Dirty Reiver, Frontier 300 and Just.Gravel.

Focal Events co-director Neil Atkinson added: “We’ve been discussing ideas for some time with PaceUp to get creative about various ways of marketing our events and have long discussed taking this support to the next level.

“The team’s experience and understanding of the industry and events will be a great addition to our output as we continue to develop our events and the wider Focal Events brand.”

This year saw the first edition of Gravel Rocks.

Taking place from Friday, July 12, to Sunday, July 14, the two day, festival style event, rolled out from Duncombe Park on the edges of the North York Moors National Park.

The weekend delivered a balance of social, a sense of adventure and a sprinkling of timed sections for those with sights on the podium.

On Friday night, “Gravel Rocks in the Dark” kicked things off with two timed special segments in and around the estate.

Saturday saw a single loop through classic North York Moors riding terrain with moorland trails, singletrack descents and further timed stages. To add to the event, riders did not know exactly where the timed segments were until they got there.

Entries for Gravel Rocks 2025 open on Friday, November 1, with the hugely popular Dirty Reiver also opening entries on Sunday, December 1.

Entries for Frontier 300 are already open.

Focal Events, organisers behind The Dirty Reiver, have announced a new event for the UK Gravel calendar – Gravel Rocks.

Taking place from Friday, July 12, to Sunday, July 14, this two day, festival style event, will roll out from Duncombe Park on the edges of the North York Moors National Park.

It is a weekend that promises “the right amount” of social, a sense of adventure and a sprinkling of timed sections for those with sights on the podium.

On Friday night, “Gravel Rocks in the Dark” kicks things off with two timed special segments in and around the estate.

Saturday, a single loop through classic North York Moors riding terrain with moorland trails, singletrack descents and further timed stages. To add to the event, riders will not know exactly where the timed segments are until they get there.

All abilities are welcome with a choice of distances to suit.

The event village, on the estate, includes food, showers, bar, camping and evening entertainment and a brand expo.

Sunday is a chance to kick back and enjoy some social riding and with free family/supporter events throughout the weekend there is plenty for everyone.

Crankbrothers will be the headline event partner alongside Ergon, Tifosi, Exposure Lights, Panaracer, CLIF, POC, Topeak, Motorex and Spookton Brewery.

The event village will also host a Gravel Expo where brands are invited to showcase everything for the gravel rider.

Hannah Wilson, brand manager for Crankbrothers at Extra UK, commented: “Crankbrothers are stoked to be joining forces with the Focal Events team to make the Gravel Rocks event a reality.

The event promises the perfect mix of camaraderie, the spirit of adventure and competitive segments paired with challenging terrain, amazing views and a party atmosphere.

“Whether you are new to gravel, or a seasoned pro, this blend of competition and fun is for every rider. We will be there with a range of product to demo, some shiny bling to show off as well as fun activities with prizes to give away.”

For more information head over to the website: www.gravelrocks.cc

Focal Events, organiser of Dirty Reiver, Grinduro UK and Frontier 300, has announced the return of The Distance.

Often referred to as ‘backpacking with advantages’, The Distance is an event where the routes and total distance vary according to the rider’s individual travelling speed. Taking place over the weekend of 12-14th May, the event will take in the trails and scenery that the Central Lake District has to offer.

For 2023, Focal Events has announced Deuter and Sea to Summit as headline sponsors, supported by Dolan Bikes, Rawvelo, Hutchinson Tires and GRVL, with Spookton providing the beer overnight.

Focal Events director Neil Atkinson said: “In a nutshell, all riders finish in a similar time having had their own unique adventure!

“The Distance offers something for everyone where you can make your own challenge whilst riding in some of the most scenic spots the country has to offer.

“As ever with our events, the fun and community feel after the ride is also championed, with a party overnight allowing riders to share stories and meet friends old and new.”

The event format sees riders start from one location before riding to a series of checkpoints throughout the day using a combination of GPS and printed maps. How they get between the checkpoints will be dependent on their rate of progress and the style of riding they choose.

From adventure roads to gravel tracks, there are up to three route options for each checkpoint and the arrival time will determine which route options are chosen. Total ride routes vary between 45 to 100km.

At the end of the first day, riders will be welcomed into camp with a drink and meal – a time to share stories, listen to sponsor brand ambassadors and chill around the fire with a beer. The Sunday will see riders following a shorter, more social route back to the start.

Read more: Eurobike Award returns for 2023 in Frankfurt with new partnership

The Distance originally launched back in 2017 with three years of events before being postponed due to the pandemic. Entries are now open with further information at www.thedistance.cc.

Panaracer and Focal Events have announced a new partnership for the Dirty Reiver, for 2023 and beyond.

Now in its ninth year, gravel event the Dirty Reiver is based in and around Kielder Forest in the English/Scottish Borders, making use of the extensive gravel trail network across the area.

Panaracer, distributed by ZyroFisher in the UK and Ireland, will be the title sponsor, with SRAM, Weldtite and Lauf also supporting to help the event continue to grow.

The event will now be known as the Panaracer Dirty Reiver and will have three new courses for 2023, including a new start loop. The 200km course will remain the flagship distance with a 65km and 130km option.

Focal Events said: “It has been a privilege to have worked with Panaracer from the very beginning of Dirty Reiver, back in 2015. They have seen the development of gravel over the years and understand the relationship between the rider and our event.

“Panaracer Gravel King tyres are iconic and have always been the tyre of choice at Dirty Reiver, so we couldn’t have found a better partner to work with.”

Panaracer global go-to guy Jeff Zell added: “Dirty Reiver has been the foundation of gravel events in the UK and is quickly becoming the benchmark for events around the globe.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Focal Events team to continue the great tradition of Dirty Reiver, but to also continue to bring the finest gravel and cycling tyres to all riders.’

Read more: Interest in bikes shows signs of ‘cooling down’, says Shimano, but demand remains above pre-Covid levels

Dirty Reiver will welcome other new brand partnerships for 2023, with many existing partners set to return. A full list of all brand partners can be found on the newly launched website, www.dirtyreiver.co.uk.

Entries will open on 1st December 2022 at 08.00.