The Gralloch.
The Gralloch's UCI race is the British round of the UCI Gravel World Series and the only chance to qualify for the Gravel World Championships on British soil: 111 kilometres of forest gravel in Galloway Forest Park with about 1,860 metres of climbing over eight ascents. Only eighteen per cent of the course is flat – and the selection starts inside the first five kilometres.
The Gralloch 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The race starts at Garries Park in Gatehouse of Fleet, a small market town in Dumfries and Galloway, and the loop returns there after 111 kilometres. The first ramp begins after a kilometre and a half, and at kilometre 4.4 comes the hardest climb of the day: 2.5 kilometres averaging 6.3 per cent with pitches to 13.7. Anyone who wants to be at the front later has to be there already.
After that it is a race over waves. Eight climbs are spread around the loop, three of them categorised – at kilometre 4.4, at 21.8 and at 54.4 – and there is almost no flat between them: 39 per cent up, 38 per cent down, only 18 per cent level. Fuffock Hill, Kenick Hill and Slaughter Hill give the course its names, and the descents past Loch Skerrow, Loch Stroan and Loch Ken give it its speed. Kilometre 63 holds the steepest short ramp of the race, 7.2 per cent over 750 metres.
The surface is genuine Scottish forest gravel: wide working forest roads through Galloway Forest Park, the Raiders Road forest drive among them, linked by short sections of tarmac. The terrain is open, treeless on the tops and exposed to the wind, with views over Loch Grannoch. More than 3,000 riders from 47 nations came to the weekend in 2026 – for a race only founded in 2023 as the first UCI gravel event ever held in Britain.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 1.6 | 0.9 km | 6.1 % | 10.7 % | +52 m | — |
| km 4.4 | 2.5 km | 6.3 % | 13.7 % | +155 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 21.8 | 1.5 km | 5.6 % | 10.2 % | +82 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 30.7 | 1.2 km | 5.8 % | 14.2 % | +69 m | — |
| km 54.4 | 2.2 km | 5.1 % | 7.5 % | +115 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 63.1 | 0.8 km | 7.2 % | 12.5 % | +54 m | — |
| km 76 | 1.5 km | 3.8 % | 8.2 % | +57 m | — |
| km 79.2 | 1.8 km | 4 % | 10.4 % | +72 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace The Gralloch.
Sit in early
This race has no warm-up. The categorised climb at kilometre 4.4 arrives while the field is still whole and the forest road is narrow enough that a lost position is expensive. A rider chasing a qualification result has to spend the first ten minutes well above race-average power without going into the red – that is the day's central trade-off.
Ration your effort
The race is decided on the long climb at kilometre 54.4: 2.2 kilometres at 5.1 per cent, exactly at halfway, when the groups have sorted themselves out and nobody is being carried any more. The short steep ramp at kilometre 63 and two further climbs from kilometre 76 follow – the last thirty kilometres are not a cool-down.
Race the finale
The main trap is the surface rather than the profile. Only twenty per cent of the course is flat, which means it is almost continuously either power or handling. On loose forest gravel every effort out of the saddle costs traction, and the fast descents past the lochs ask for braking and line choice instead of watts. Add mid-May in Galloway, which is changeable, often wet and windy on the open tops. The course cut-off at kilometre 67.9 at 16:15 is irrelevant to a competitive rider and very relevant at the back of the field.
Training plan for The Gralloch: 12-week build
Build endurance
For a competitive age-group rider the race takes roughly 3:45 to 5:30. The demand is markedly surgy: eight climbs, almost no flat, constant alternation between short efforts uphill and technical recovery downhill. This is not a steady endurance load but a string of three- to twelve-minute intervals with incomplete recovery.
Train the climbs
The categorised climbs at kilometres 4.4, 21.8 and 54.4 decide the race. The first demands a hard opening, the last a threshold effort two and a half hours in. Prepare it with VO2max intervals of three to six minutes placed at the START of a long ride, and with threshold blocks deliberately set late in a four- to five-hour session.
Ride race-specific
The surface is a training topic in its own right. Eighty per cent gravel means managing traction out of the saddle, choosing tyres and pressures, and descending loose ground above fifty kilometres an hour. A rider who only trains on tarmac loses more time in the descents at The Gralloch than they can win on the climbs. Equipment belongs here too: the surface is rough, tyre damage is the most common reason for abandoning, and a spare tube plus the skill to use it are mandatory.
Arrive fresh
Conditions settle the rest. Mid-May in south-west Scotland means cool to mild temperatures, a high chance of rain and strong wind over the treeless tops. Wet gravel rides differently from dry – slower, looser, with much longer braking distances – and fuelling has to last up to five and a half hours without an extra stop. Wet gravel rides, a clothing setup tested at ten degrees and wind, and a rehearsed fuelling plan belong in the final six weeks.
Courses
Download the The Gralloch course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for The Gralloch dynamically
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Everything about The Gralloch.
How long is The Gralloch?
The Gralloch is 111 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does The Gralloch have?
The Gralloch has around 1,864 m of elevation gain over 111 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of The Gralloch?
The Gralloch is classified as Rolling, averaging 16.8 vertical metres per kilometre. 18% of the route is flat, 39% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 3% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does The Gralloch have?
The hardest climb of The Gralloch starts at kilometre 4.4, runs for 2.5 km at an average of 6.3% and gains 155 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 4. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is The Gralloch a loop course?
Yes, The Gralloch is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the The Gralloch course?
Yes. The The Gralloch course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for The Gralloch?
Preparation for The Gralloch should account for 111 km, 1,864 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for The Gralloch?
The pacing strategy for The Gralloch should reflect 111 km, 1,864 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does The Gralloch take place?
The Gralloch takes place on May 15, 2027.
Where does The Gralloch take place?
The Gralloch takes place in Gatehouse of Fleet, United Kingdom.
Which distances does The Gralloch offer?
The Gralloch offers 4 distances — UCI Race: 111 km; Genesis Gralloch Ultra: 323 km; The Stag (Sportive): 111 km; The Fawn (Sportive): 53 km.
How do I register for The Gralloch?
Registration runs through the organiser: grallochgravel.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
