← All eventsGalloway Forest Gravel Epic
Accessible fully-signed gravel sportive on rolling forest fire road through Galloway Forest Park from Newton Stewart — 125/75/59km, feed stations, no cut-offs. Climbing estimated. Date approximate.
One of the friendliest gravel days in Scotland. Fully signed, feed stations on course, and no cut-offs anywhere. Three routes out of Newton Stewart into the Galloway Forest Park, mid June.
The gravel here is graded forest fire road, not technical singletrack. It rolls and climbs steadily through quiet forest, lochs and open moorland in Scotland's first Dark Sky Park.
So pick your day. The 59km is a genuine first big-gravel goal. The 125km is friendly underfoot but a real six to eight hour endurance ride, decided by pacing and eating, not skill.
Is Galloway Forest Gravel Epic for you?
- First-timers who want a big gravel goal without pressure. No cut-offs, a signed route and feed stations mean a bad patch never ends your day.
- Steady endurance riders. The route stacks rolling forest climbs for hours, so it rewards durability rather than punchy power.
- Riders who can pace and fuel a long day. The 125km runs six to eight hours, and the back half is won by eating early.
- Anyone happy on friendly gravel rather than technical MTB. The graded fire road suits a gravel bike and calm hands, not singletrack skills.
Training plan for Galloway Forest Gravel Epic
A training plan for Galloway Forest Gravel Epic 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.
- Rolling relentlessness: the fire roads climb and roll steadily for hours, so durability matters more than handling
- Distance, not difficulty underfoot. The 125km is a six to eight hour day on a friendly surface
- The gravel tax: power on gravel runs 5 to 10% slower than the same effort on road
- Damp and exposure. Wet Galloway fire roads drag, and the open moorland tops are windy and cool
- Progressive long ride, building 3hr toward 6 to 7hr on gravel, mostly Z2
- Event-pace long: 5 to 7hr at target effort with a full fuelling rehearsal at 60 to 90g carbs per hour
- Sweet spot gravel: 2 to 3 x 20min at 88 to 93% FTP on forest climbs
- Tempo-in-long: 4 to 5hr with 2 to 3 x 20 to 30min tempo blocks to hold effort on tired legs
- 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
