How to qualify?

Being one of the 4,000 athletes participating in Unbound Gravel is on top of your bucket list? Given the high popularity you normally only get a chance at buying your ticket if you survive the lottery. From 2024 on there's another way of getting into the thrilling American gravel race. You can qualify at Heathland Gravel, skip the lottery and just go buying your ticket straight away. How? All details below!

Qualifying for Unbound Gravel means receiving 1 coin. We'll be handing out 50 coins at Heathland Gravel. Every coin offers you the right to buy 1 ticket for Unbound Gravel 2026. Coins are personal and cannot be transferred or resold to someone else. Check out below how you can claim one of the 50 coins we have in store for the event.

You can only qualify for Lifetime Unbound Gravel 2026 when participating in the 160-km ride on Sunday 10 August. Participants joining the 110-km and 70-km rides will not be able to get a chance of winning a coin, neither on performance or through the lottery.

Did you manage to score one of the minimum 50 coins for Unbound Gravel 2026? This is how you claim your spot and how you register for Unbound Gravel 2026:

A coin gives you the opportunity of buying a ticket directly and thus skipping the random selection that is set up for Unbound Gravel participation due to the high popularity of the event.
If you are one of the (lucky) winners in Heathland Gravel, you will receive your coin during the official award ceremony on August 10. It is important you claim your coin in person.
Registration for Unbound Gravel 2026 must be completed and paid for during the designated time offered.

There will be a minimum of 50 coins to claim for Lifetime Unbound Gravel 2026:

Performance: a minimum of 25 coins for the fastest times over the total of timed sections on the 160-km course.
Lottery: a minimum of 25 coins for anyone putting his or her name in the official lottery at the end of the event.

50% of the coins will be distributed based on performance in the qualifying event (160 km):

Coins will be distributed to each gender and age group (20-29, 30-39, etc.) based on the percentage of total athletes in those age groups, with a minimum of one coin for every age group.
The top athletes in each age group will receive the allocated coins.
In the event that a top athlete elects not to accept a coin, the coin will roll down to the next athlete in the results within the age group.
In the event that coins are not claimed after the rolldown in each age group, those coins will be allocated to the Event Lottery, as described below.

50% of the coins will be distributed through the Event Lottery:

Finishers of the 160-km distance will be eligible to win an Unbound 2026 coin in the Event Lottery.
All finishers under the predetermined maximum finish time who have indicated their desire to participate in the lottery will be entered in the lottery.
Names will be drawn from the eligible lottery athletes and coins will be given out.
In the event that an athlete opts not to accept a coin, the coin will roll down to the next athlete that is drawn until ALL coins have been distributed.