Today is the day we’re supposed to find out if you got into the race for 2026, so I figure it’s a good time to start a new thread. Let six months of tire debate begin!
Edit: I’m officially in the 100.
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well Im in per my credit card.
Not selected 
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I checked my credit card this morning, but it wasn’t charged. But at 1 pm eastern I got an email saying I was in.
I’m in the 200 and ready for the tire talk, haha!
I’m curious about the actual odds of getting into these big Lifetime races. This was my first time applying for Unbound. Also got into Leadville last year which was my first time applying for it. Almost wondering if it’s not as competitive as they want us to believe! Or maybe they favor first time applications? Or I have unusually good luck which I know to not be the case!
I understand the 200 is not AS popular as the 100. I got into both Unbound and Leadville on the first try as a paracyclist (I assume).
Unbound and the Rift are my two big races in 2026. Both gravel, but the Rift seems like I need mtb tires, I don’t think it’s as necessary for Unbound on this course.
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Well crap, I got in the 200. Did it in 2024.
In for the 200. Almost certainly going to be running Race Kings but it will be the southern route this year so the risk of mud looms.
Unbound typically is significantly easier to get into compared to Leadville 100 via lottery. It seemed in 2024, the year after the bad mud, almost everyone on the Unbound thread that applied to the 200 had gotten in.
I applied for the 200 and didnt get in, so its possible to get rejected there lol. Cant all complain, im doing leadville in 2026.
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I got into the XL, anybody available to hold my hand while I gently weep and question my life choices?
edit to add: just realized this is the 200 topic so never mind, I’ll see y’all on the far side!
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I just said 200 because that’s the name I think of the race rather than distance. Let us hear your training so I can feel better about my 7 hours a week.
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got in on the 350. i wonder how many XL riders there will be this upcoming year. i did the 200 the last several years.
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I got into the 100, let base season begin!
I’m in for the 200. This will be #4 and there are still plenty of mistakes to correct from prior years (and I’ll probably discover some new ones).
Official name for the race is “(Lifetime) Unbound Gravel”
(Dirty Kanza also accepted 
)
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In for 200.
I usually take November to March completely off the bike. What to do, what to do??? May is a little early for me. Dang it.
I changed the title to be inclusive! 
. Though I guess I’m still leaving out the 50 and lower!
On a more serious note, based on the forum and podcast it seems like there is lots of interest in this race and Leadville. I’d love if they had a training plan directly for both races.
I know there was lots of discussion for Leadville what the correct plan was, Xc marathon, hilly century etc. Since I got cut off at twin lakes I clearly picked the wrong one! 
if you’re doing the 200, I know you don’t need a 200mile ride but maybe the Sunday endurance ride would be longer.
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No need for specific plans for these races. You’d basically be copying and renaming an existing one. Basically - Gran Fondo for Leadville and Unbound unless you’re trying to stay with the front group for any period of time in Unbound, and want to train that VO2 repeatability. As much volume as you can take or have time for.
After that - it’s just being able to ride at Endurance and Tempo for really long periods of time, so you don’t need to overcomplicate it.
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has anyone stayed at the campus before? how was it?
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+1 on this. Unless you are treating Unbound like a time trial and pacing it steady, you really need to work some intensity into your training. Even if you aren’t trying to stick with a group at the pointy end, a lot of time can be gained by finding an appropriately paced train early in the day. And it usually takes some hard efforts to find those groups as things sort out early.
I added some extra 30/30 work in the final few weeks before unbound last year and feel like it really helped me early in the race. It seems counter-intuitive, but being able to handle the punchy stuff early can actually make the overall effort easier. When you have the punch to immediately respond to surges and course features, you aren’t closing gaps and you can just stay in the draft and avoid the rubber band dynamic.
I know everyone says “don’t go out too hard” and that’s a common mistake, but doing some hard efforts early isn’t an issue if you stay within your limits and you’ve trained to do it. And again, it depends on your priorities and approach. If you are taking a risk averse approach and pacing things steady and prioritizing a comfortable finish rather than results, then there is no reason to push it early. But if you are treating it like a race and prioritizing results, the fastest way around the course is usually a riskier approach and finding fast groups early.
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