Uncle John's Gravel Race

Uncle John’s Gravel Race has become well known as one of the fastest gravel races in Michigan. It all begins and ends at the famous Uncle John’s Cider Mill a must visit destination for many families every fall. You will traverse through the wooded Saginaw/Gratiot Game Area as well as some super flat gravel roads lined with 10 foot high corn fields. 99% of the course is on dirt roads.
We have a breathable tech shirt for the first 500, lunch after the race, 2 Uncle John’s hard cider pours, a super cool finishers medal for everyone who finishes, and bad to the bone winners’ awards including jerseys, cash, and medals.
Saturday, September 6

• 7:00 AM – Free RV & tent camping opens (available all day)
• 9:00 AM – Cider Mill opens + Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run 5K
• 2:00 PM – Casual group ride
• 4:00–8:00 PM – Packet Pickup Party at Uncle John’s Hard Cider Taproom
• Live music, food trucks, and fun for the whole family

After 8:00 PM – Hang out at the campground with conversation and some Uncle John’s Hard Cider

Sunday, September 7 – Race Day

• 7:00 AM – Registration opens
• 8:00 AM – Free kids races (ages 0–6, 7–9, 10–12), sponsored by the I Love Gravel Racing Series
• 9:00 AM – 57-mile race starts
• 10:15 AM – 28-mile race starts
• 10:45 AM – 16-mile race starts
• 1:15 PM – Podium cut-off
• 1:20 PM – Official results posted
• 1:30 PM – Awards ceremony

What’s New This Year?
This year, we’re shifting the focus from just racing to creating a full-on experience. Saturday will be a complete pre-race gravel race party including early packet pickup, free camping, live band, food trucks, and hard cider, wine, and spirits tastings in the Uncle John’s Taproom from 4-8 pm.
We have invested $2,500 worth of safety improvements to make the race start and finish the best it has ever been as well. Remember the narrow, tricky orchard entry at the end of the old course? That’s history. We’ve installed 30 feet of new culvert and 20 tons of gravel for a 50-foot wide smoother and safer transition to the first gravel road. A bunch of gravel has also been added to make the racing surface on the Uncle John’s property much smoother and safer as well.
We’ve reversed the entire race route!
That orchard finish is now the starting point. The race will run clockwise, which means more right turns and fewer traffic crossings—another big safety win. The long gravel stretch that used to exit the property will now serve as the final sprint.
Other race changes include –

• Staggered start times: Shorter distances start later, meaning less downtime before podiums
• Event T-Shirts for the first 500 to register
• Champion’s Jerseys for top male/female finishers in each distance
• Finisher medals for everyone!

Just like in years past – Free lunch, free hard cider, and awards