← All eventsSherwood Pines Trophy
Friendly single-route (58km) Glorious Gravel Trophy on fast forest gravel through Sherwood/Robin Hood country — a great first gravel event or season-opener, no cut-offs. Date approximate.
One of the friendliest first gravel events in the UK. 58km of fast, sandy forest fire roads through Sherwood Pines and Robin Hood country, starting from Clipstone in Nottinghamshire on an early-March morning.
This is the short, single-route end of the Glorious Gravel series. Gently rolling, well-drained and non-technical: a rhythm test on quick gravel, not a battle with hills or singletrack.
With no cut-offs, a feed station and a medal and beer at the finish, it's an ideal season-opener. Fast doesn't mean effortless though. Holding a good tempo for three-plus hours is a real effort.
Is Sherwood Pines Trophy for you?
- First-timers stepping onto gravel. No cut-offs, a fully-signed route and gentle terrain make a first off-road event feel welcoming rather than daunting.
- Riders wanting an early-season target. A March date makes it a perfect test of your winter base before the bigger events later in the year.
- Steady tempo riders who pace themselves. With little climbing, the day rewards a smooth, constant effort on the fast surface, not big power spikes.
- Anyone building toward longer gravel. 58km is an accessible stepping-stone that proves your fuelling and rhythm before you go further.
Training plan for Sherwood Pines Trophy
A training plan for Sherwood Pines Trophy 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.
- Sustained tempo over gentle terrain: with little climbing, aerobic rhythm matters more than climbing power
- A fast, sandy forest surface that rolls quickly, so the challenge is holding pace rather than surviving hills
- Soft-sand patches and wind on the open heath that can quietly sap your speed
- An early-March date, so you arrive fit on a late-winter base
- Progressive long ride, building steady Z2 from 1.5hr toward 3.5hr, the core adaptation
- Tempo blocks: 2-3 x 15-20min at sweet spot for sustained-effort durability
- An event-pace gravel ride of 3-3.5hr with full fuelling rehearsal
- Winter turbo endurance: 2hr steady indoors to protect duration in the cold
- 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
