In the final ten miles of the 2025 Unbound Gravel, I told myself I would not be coming back to race this beast again in 2026. Not because I didn’t think I could compete, but because to that point I’d had five clean runs at Unbound, finishing 1st, 3rd, 5th, 47th, and 8th place. For a race as unpredictable as the Unbound 200, I felt like I should count my fortune with so many great rides and getting into the 1,000-mile club.

Despite not doing the 200 this year, I knew I wanted to go back to Emporia, KS, and experience the event differently. I decided I’d share my prior experience with a first timer. Little did I know that I’d be the one learning.

Supporting Adventure for All

Since 2023, in my role at Wahoo Fitness, we’ve been supporting Adventure for All (AFA) and their mission to give kids and young adults with exceptionalities the skills and know-how to enjoy the outdoors. With the rise of gravel, AFA has been introducing more participants to cycling and attending gravel events. Fast forward to 2026: AFA launched the Death to Doubt team of four riders to race in several gravel events during the season. 

Back in January, I pitched AFA the idea of me guiding one of their athletes at Unbound, and thus, my purpose for 2026 was set! I was linked up with 19-year-old Christian Loafman, captain of the Death to Doubt team, to take on 100 miles of the Flint Hills. 

Christian is a talented athlete, having previously run the Boston Marathon and even completing a full-length Ironman. I wasn’t worried about his fitness, so as we set off among 1,500 other riders with mud in the forecast, my singular goal was to bring him back safely to his mother.

We rode, walked, and trudged our way through the course, finishing in 9+ hours. Never did Christian show any doubt about whether he’d make the finish. This is where – despite being in a “mentor” role – I became the student. 

As he followed my wheel, I’d check in with how he was feeling; his response was always the same, “Good.” Despite the challenging conditions, he didn’t doubt himself and he didn’t doubt those around him either. As we passed fellow racers, he’d say, “You’re doing great!” or “Nice riding!” building up strangers sharing our same struggle.

Hearing him say these things made me feel it, too. Yeah, we are doing great! 

We started dead last and finished mid-pack. For those 850 riders we passed, Christian shared some degree of encouragement with every single one of them. 

Despite seeing the front of the Unbound 200 five times, I learned more about resilience and the power of self- and communal-belief by not doing the 200. I witnessed the value of humility and determination, persistence and encouragement. These things exist all across the course, but it was much more impactful to witness alongside a stranger-turned-good-friend. 

Gravel is a spectrum, and I’ve now seen much more of how challenge, hard work, and camaraderie contribute to making an event like Unbound so alluring, so powerful. And that is where the magic of gravel rests – with every rider, in every position, all experiencing and getting through the mud together.

Thank you for reading, and to Untapped who fueled both me and Christian. He never refused an UnTapped Gel I offered him. His favorite is Salted Cinnamon Spice. He’s a sensible one.

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