← All eventsBadlands
~800km self-supported ultra-distance gravel race from Granada through eastern Andalusia — deserts, Mediterranean coast, and the Sierra Nevada. ~16,000m climbing in extreme heat. Solo/pairs. Late-August date is approximate for 2027.
One of the hardest gravel ultras in Europe. Around 800km and 16,000m of climbing in a self-supported loop from Granada, ridden across the extremes of Andalusia in late-August desert heat.
The route crosses Europe's only true deserts at Gorafe and Tabernas, drops to the Mediterranean coast, then climbs the Sierra Nevada toward Pico Veleta, at 3,396m the highest col in continental Europe.
No feed stations, no markings, no support. You navigate by GPX and carry your own water across desert gaps of 60 to 100km. Around 1 in 5 starters didn't finish in 2025. Heat, not fitness, breaks them.
Is Badlands for you?
- Riders who cope in the heat. The desert offers almost no shade and 40°C days, so this rewards disciplined hydration far more than raw watts.
- Durable climbers. 16,000m over 800km is a mountain race disguised as gravel, and the legs have to keep climbing while deeply fatigued.
- Self-sufficient types who can navigate by GPX, plan every water stop, and fix their own bike without a soul around for hours.
- Riders happy on multi-day efforts and minimal sleep, willing to ride the cool night hours and shelter through the midday furnace.
Training plan for Badlands
A training plan for Badlands isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Desert heat of 35 to 40°C+ with almost no shade, where dehydration is the primary cause of scratches
- 16,000m of climbing over 800km, relentless vertical that makes this a climber's race
- Long desert gaps of 60 to 100km with no reliable water or resupply
- Days on the bike on minimal sleep, riding the cool hours and resting through the heat
- Big Climbing Rides: 5 to 8 hours with 2,000 to 4,000m of ascent to build climbing durability
- Heat rides and a post-ride sauna protocol in the final 4 to 6 weeks to trigger heat adaptation
- Weekend Doubles: back-to-back big days that teach the legs to climb when tired
- Overnight rides from dusk through dawn to rehearse the cool-hours strategy and your lights
- 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
