Date
Sat, 11 Sept 2027
Start
07:00
Venue
Chestnut Mountain Resort, Galena, Illinois
Galena, Jo Daviess County
Countdown
September
A 381 km gravel loop you ride nonstop and carry everything for yourself. With about 6,100 m of climbing, it's a proper test of grit, and the field is tiny.
Key facts
01Self-supported: no aid stations, plan your own food and water
02Nonstop loop, so the clock runs while you sleep or stop
03Enter solo or as a pair; pairs must finish together
Create a free training plan for the Baby Dagger
7-day free trial, no card required
The course
The route
Galena
Distance381km
Total climb6,096m
StartElevation
0 kmDrag map to rotate345.6 km
Weather
Mid-September, Galena
25°CTypical high
12°CTypical low
1°CColdest in 20 years
29%Days with rain
Highs around 25°C and lows around 12°C, but it has dropped to 1°C. Rain on 29% of days.
NASA POWER data, 2006-2025, the week either side of race day
Results
Course verified. Results not yet available.
Organiser
OrganiserMidwest Ultra Cycling LLC
Websitemidwestultracycling.com
Instagram@driftlessdagger
Running since2025
Training
Training for the Baby Dagger
We don't do generic plans. We combine deep knowledge of this race's demands with your recent training, then build a plan with you that progresses as you do.
Beina integrates directly with your existing tools to understand your current fitness, and synchronise your planned sessions.
Intervals.icuWhat a Baby Dagger plan targets
Typical sessions
381 km with 6,096 m of climbing
Endurance and fatigue resistance over the full distance
Fuelling and pacing for the whole event
What your weeks look like
Typical sessions
Long endurance rides building toward the full distance
Threshold and sweet-spot work for sustained power
Sustained climbing repeats on real gradients
Group rides for drafting and bunch-riding skills
Not a generic schedule
Typical sessions
Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
Entries open now
Get your Baby Dagger plan.
7-day free trial, no card required.
More events in September in United States
Bighorn RoadExpected Early September 2027 · Gypsum→Booneville Backroads UltraExpected Early September 2027 · Iowa→Booneville Backroads UltraExpected Early September 2027 · Iowa→Catskill Mountain Cycling ChallengeExpected Early September 2027 · Arkville→Cherry Hill Farm UltraExpected Early September 2027 · Gorham→Down For Gravel / DFGExpected Early September 2027 · Newfield→
