LIFE TIME UNBOUND GRAVEL 200 PRESENTED BY SHIMANO

Emporia, KS (May 21, 2026): The  Life Time Grand Prix returns to Emporia, Kansas on May 30 for Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 presented by Shimano. The second of six events in the 2026 Series, featuring an elite roster of world-class athletes fighting for victory and a record prize purse. 

The battle for the Life Time Grand Prix overall lead has entered uncharted territory, as for the first time in series history, Keegan Swenson does not hold the men’s lead heading into Emporia. US Gravel National Champion, Bradyn Lange, currently tops the table in the men’s field after a thrilling two-up sprint to the finish at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel in April, breaking Swenson’s four-year victory streak in dramatic style. 

In the women’s field, Sofía Gómez Villafañe builds on her three-year reign as Life Time Grand Prix Champion, once again leading the peloton into UNBOUND Gravel. She claimed maximum points in Monterey, gapping her rivals to claim a solo victory in 5hr 10min 39sec. Gómez Villafañe sits ahead of Lauren Stephens and Karolina Migoń in the series leaderboard. The full men’s and women’s leaderboard can be found HERE.

The fight for first place, however, extends beyond the Life Time Grand Prix. A formidable lineup of international elite riders will descend on Kansas to challenge the series contenders for one of gravel’s most coveted victories. These riders include:

Men: Romain Bardet Mads Würtz Schmidt Lachlan Morton Women:  Carolin Schiff Geerike Schreuers Axelle Dubau-Prevot

The full elite start list for UNBOUND Gravel 200 can be found HERE.  Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 Course Overview The 20th anniversary route will encompass 207 miles of gravel roads and feature 9,000 feet of climbing. With a brand-new lead out via 6th street to Prairie, the turn south introduces a mix of iconic sectors and new additions to the race profile.  To commemorate the 20th anniversary, the course will encompass part of the north route for the second half of the course, taking in a wide range of elevation, terrain and gravel before heading up the notorious Highland Hill paved climb and heading into the finish on Commercial St, Emporia. The full route can be viewed HERE.  New for 2026, Elite Feed Zones will be formally separated from age group check points in order to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and protect competitive integrity. All of the Elite Feed Zones are in entirely different locations from the age group check points.  Live Coverage Just as with last year, bringing the action to viewers around the world has proven to grow enthusiasm for the sport and deepen the connection between athletes and fans. This year’s race will be easier to follow than ever before, whether in person or tuning in from afar. Starting Thursday, May 28th at 12:00 PM CDT, THE LEADOUT, the Life Time Grand Prix Pre-Race Show, will air live from Emporia, Kansas and on the  Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel.  Race day coverage will begin at 5:35 AM CDT on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel on, Saturday, May 30th, with live, on-course video updates for the women’s and men’s races also being shared on the official Life Time Grand Prix and Life Time UNBOUND Gravel Instagram pages, respectively.

A Look Back at 2025 The 2025 edition of UNBOUND Gravel delivered historic performances, blistering course records, and major shakeups in the Life Time Grand Prix standings. In the elite women’s 200-mile race, 29-year-old Karolina Migoń of Poland put on a masterclass, forcing an early breakaway alongside Cecily Decker and Lauren Stephens before riding solo for the final 48 miles with the final time of  10hr 3min 54sec. The men’s elite race was equally dramatic, dominated by Wild Card competitor Cameron Jones, who earned himself a spot in the Life Time Grand Prix with a stunning, course-record average speed of 23.49 mph. Jones broke away with Switzerland’s Simon Pellaud just two and a half hours into the event, building an impressive lead before dropping the Swiss rider on the final climbs to win in 8hr 37min 09sec. These results shook up the overall series leaderboards, leaving Decker tied with Villafañe at the top of the women’s standings. In the men’s division, Pellaud jumped into joint second overall alongside Brendan Johnston, while Keegan Swenson successfully defended his overall series lead with a seventh-place finish.  Click HERE to watch the 2025 race highlights.  Wild Card & U23s After the successful launch of the Wild Card category in 2025, Wild Card riders will continue to battle it out for the prestigious three Life Time Grand Prix spots in the men’s roster, and four in the women’s (as Sarah Sturm deferred her place with the announcement of her pregnancy). Click HERE for more information.  The riders currently topping the Wild Card leaderboard following the Life Time Sea Otter Classic are as follows:

Men: Matthew Wilson  Martins Blums  Andrew Dillman Women:  Jenna Rinehart  Charlotte Clarke  Jen Tave  Danielle Shrosbree

Open to cyclists aged 18-22, the U23 program has also returned for 2026, offering the top male and female finishers a spot in the 2027 Life Time Grand Prix. Click HERE for more information. Elite Field Schedule & Start Lists 5:50 AM – Saturday, May 30: Elite Men 200 Mile start 6:05 AM – Saturday, May 30: Elite Women 200 Mile start 7:00 PM – Saturday, May 30: Life Time Grand Prix podium Start lists HERE

XL Race The Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano also incorporates the XL race, which takes on 350-miles of Emporian gravel. Riders headlining this category include 2026 Traka 560 winner, Maddy Nutt, 2025 UNBOUND Gravel XL winner, Heather Jackson, in the women’s field and 2025 UNBOUND Gravel XL winner, Rob Britton and 2024 Traka 260 and road World Tour veteran, Peter Stetina, in the men’s field.  XL Schedule & Start Lists 3:00 PM – Friday, May 29: Men & Women XL start The full start list can be found HERE.

The calendar for the 2026 series is as follows: Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 presented by Shimano – Saturday, May 30, 2026 Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik – Saturday, August 15, 2026 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival – Saturday, September 19, 2026 Life Time Little Sugar MTB – Sunday, October 11, 2026 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel – Saturday, October 17, 2026  To learn more about the 2026 series, visit www.lifetimegrandprix.com and follow along on YouTube, Instagram, X and Facebook.