← All eventsNorfolk Gravel Epic
Long, gently-rolling, exposed Glorious Gravel Epic on North Norfolk farmland byways toward the coast near Fakenham — 83km or 111km flagship, wind is the challenge, no cut-offs. Date approximate.
A long gravel day where the wind, not the hills, is what tests you. 111km of gently rolling North Norfolk farmland byways reaching toward the coast from Fakenham, run as a signed Glorious Gravel Epic in late March.
The climbing is modest. What makes it hard is distance and exposure: big open farmland and coastal drags, few descents to recover, and a headwind that never really lets up.
No cut-offs, feed stations, a medal and a beer at the finish, e-bikes welcome, and an 83km option if you want it. Accessible, yes. But the 111km flagship is a genuine five to seven hour day.
Is Norfolk Gravel Epic for you?
- Endurance riders who thrive on a constant, steady effort. A flat course with no coasting rewards a diesel engine, not a big punch.
- Anyone who can sit in a group and share the work. On the open exposed drags, drafting into a Norfolk headwind saves huge amounts of energy.
- Riders with real long-ride base. The 111km is a full day that rewards durability and disciplined fuelling over peak power.
- Gravel riders who want distance without the technical stress. Farm tracks and byways, never singletrack, so line choice matters more than bike-handling skills.
Training plan for Norfolk Gravel Epic
A training plan for Norfolk 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.
- 111km and 5-7+ hours on farm tracks: durability and fuelling decide the back half, not peak power
- Open North Norfolk exposure, where a headwind on a long drag is the defining difficulty
- Constant, near-flat effort with few descents to recover, so pacing rhythm matters
- Rutted, soft farm-track patches that sap speed and need good line choice
- Progressive long rides building from 2.5hr toward a 5-6hr day, on gravel or turbo
- Long tempo blocks, 2-3 x 20-30min at 84-90% FTP, for constant-effort durability
- Into-wind steady rides, 3-4hr at tempo into a headwind, rehearsing the real difficulty
- Group and draft practice, plus full fuelling rehearsal on the long rides at 60-90g carbs an hour
- 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
