Ozark Gravel by Morning, Y2K Dance Floor by Night at Big Sugar Gravel
Some views of the Ozarks only show up at bike speed, when the road ahead is long and the only soundtrack is your own tires. Your legs settle into a rhythm and the rest of the week starts to feel far away.
Gravel riding gives you a reason to slow down and take in the Ozarks one mile at a time. Big Sugar Gravel puts you on that road.
THE DEETS
📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026
🕑 Race and Awarding: 07:25 AM – 06:00 PM | Gravel Rave: 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM
📍 The Momentary, 507 SE E St, Bentonville, AR 72712
🎟️ Registration: 25mi: $100 | 50mi: $180 | 100mi: $225
🎟️ Big Sugar Gravel racers get one complimentary Rave ticket through a code sent by email, while Little Sugar MTB racers and non-participants can buy tickets, with a guest pass for anyone without a Big Sugar Gravel entry at $30
🔗 More info | The Gravel Rave
Gravel Gets Gritty
You ride canopy-covered roads through the remote, rugged highlands of the Ozarks in Northwest Arkansas and Southern Missouri. Your route follows Sugar Creek and runs through bluffs and hollers, with fall foliage around you.
Expect more challenging courses. You will roll over rarely maintained roads with loose, rocky gravel, a few paved sections, a few water crossings and some bridges. This race is meant for you if you like riding in the dirt and want to share the experience with fellow cyclists.
Swag That Goes the Distance
Your entry comes with a custom number plate and timing chip, a finisher medal, a participant t-shirt and a goodie bag stocked with sponsor products and special offers.
On the course, you will find fully stocked aid stations. Off it, you can browse the expo and sit in on expert panels. Shakeout rides with professional cyclists and premier brands are part of the weekend, and a post-race voucher covers your food and drink.
Cash on the Gravel
Your 100-mile option offers a $30,000 prize purse split between men and women. Payouts run from $5,000 for first place down to $1,000 for fifth.
A Sweet Deal for Double Dippers
If you sign up for both Little Sugar MTB and Big Sugar Gravel, you are automatically entered in the Sweet Tooth Challenge. Pair the 100K MTB with the 100-mile gravel ride for the full Sweet Tooth, or the 50K MTB with the 50-mile gravel ride for the Semi-Sweet Tooth.
You register for each event separately, and the challenge itself isn’t scored. Each race still has its own results, and finishers of the challenge receive a commemorative pennant banner.’
Gravel Gets Its Groove On
At the Gravel Rave, you watch the Life Time Grand Prix champions get their final crowning at the finale awards ceremony, and the night closes out the racing season. This year’s theme is Party Like It’s 1999, a throwback to the late 90s and early 2000s, so pull out the Juicy Couture tracksuits and low-rise baggy jeans, then add butterfly clips or frosted tips.
Chef Biju Thomas is serving nostalgic bites inspired by the snacks and flavors from back in the day, and a cash bar offers a wide variety of adult beverages. Y2K2K, DJ Afrosia and DJ Alexis Skarda, who is also a Life Time Grand Prix athlete, are playing dance-floor anthems and Y2K-era bangers, and if you ride to the Rave, bike valet looks after your bike while you dance.
Before You Roll Out
Rinse your bike at the Muc-Off Bike Wash during the Finish Festival, then find your people and swap stories from the course. Bring your friends and family along, and come ready to celebrate a season of riding with fellow cyclists.
