It was fantastic. Walking distance to the main drag/start line, cafeteria was incredible, friendly staff, bare bone rooms that fit the bill, ample showers. Recommend
1 Like
Did not get selected in the 50mile.
The dorms are awesome. Great communal atmosphere with fellow riders.
I did not get selected for the 100.
1 Like
Somehow or another, I was fortunate enough to get into Unbound again this year. This will be my third year in a row in Emporia. In contrast, I have been trying to get into either the Leadville 100 bike or 100 run for the past ten years without success. I know Leadville offers a lot fewer slots but I hoped after so many years of trying I would finally get in. But, if my karma is leaning more towards me doing Unbound every year, I will gladly take it
1 Like
unbound is more fun anyway
1 Like
Hey friends! For my XL’ers (and beyond)
How are y’all integrating trainer road into preparing for this? what kind of crazy setups are you going to be running?! so many things to talk about…
2 Likes
For those who have done the race before, is there any crews for hire where I can send along full uswe bladders? I know 3foot says no. My DIY drink mix (using Coach Jonathan’s mixture) can take some time to dissolve with cold water. I’m not sure why, but obviously, I don’t want chunky drinks.
If you’re asking whether you can put filled USWE bladders in your crew for hire aid station bag/box, yes you can. I’ve done that the 2 years I’ve done the 200, and will do that again for 2026. It’s not cold, but it’s easy to swap in and out.
1 Like
Who did you use?
I used the Crew for Hire that you can purchase at registration. It’s the volunteer crew provided by the race organizer. Not sure if you can still register for it or not. Check out the Athlete Info section on Unbound web page. The people that volunteer for these crews are just plain awesome. So, so helpful.
Dorm housing currently open (maybe sold out soon)
It sold out while I was filling in the payment form so was denied. 
1 Like
wow! I had filled out all the info in advance because I knew I was in a meeting at the time. Lucky for me.
I had booked the Wildwood FSX RV at Unbound Gravel Ranch - Hipcamp in Reading, Kansas
I won’t need it now, if anyone is interested let me know and I can cancel and you can rebook it
I filled it out as fast as I could right at 10:00 when it was available. Kind of annoyed that I got all the way to “submit” and it denied me.
Haha! You’re all mad!
Has anyone considering recreating the Unbound Experience at home?
Just set up your trainer in a room, climate controlled to be perfectly unpleasant. Then just have a friend/tormentor throw random buckets of mud at you, whilst you grind out ten hours at your five hour max wattage. For the truly authentic experience, ensure that you’re properly dehydrated too and get off every hour or two to fix something mechanical or take a muddy walk whilst carrying something that approximates a bike.
In all seriousness, I have huge respect for anyone that completes any distance at Unbound, but it’s more a test of mental resilience than anything else. Bike races (and this maybe ought to be in the Unpopular Opinions thread) should be a bit more fun.
4 Likes
I was laughing to myself looking at the list of things “included” in your entry, many of which are free to the public, but I don’t recall seeing this before:
Fully stocked aid stations
I wonder if that means there will be actual traditional aid stations, or if “fully stocked” means they’ll have water in a couple spots again.
1 Like
Fun is in the eye of the beholder.
2 Likes
“fully stocked aid stations” that you must have outside crew for.
The mental side is a big part of races like Unbound, but I find Unbound a walk in the park mentally compared to something like Leadville. I’ve done Unbound a few times and none of those days are anywhere close to my top 10 hardest days on the bike. I really don’t understand the drama over mud or mechanicals, that stuff way overblown in my opinion (but makes for great pics/stories on social media, so people think that’s what the race is about). The hard part is actually racing your bike for 200 miles. That takes a ton of fitness and experience to execute on race day. For me, that’s the challenge that makes it fun. On the flip side, it’s hard for me to get excited about a 60 mile gravel race where every race plays out pretty much the same and I often spend more time driving to/from the race than actual time racing.
And I think a big part of the draw for these longer races is the the sense of accomplishing something hard. Even for folks who aren’t competing for a podium, there can be a big sense of accomplishment just completing something like Unbound. Maybe not a big deal for an experienced cyclist, but just riding a bike for 200 miles straight is like climbing Mt. Everest for some.
3 Likes