Events/Somerset Gravel Epic

Somerset Gravel Epic

Gravel

Date

Sat, 10 Apr 2027

Venue

Cheddar, Somerset, England

Countdown

April

Distance

100km

Total climb

1,700m

The hilly one. While most early-season gravel sportives roll, the Somerset Gravel Epic climbs, hauling you up into the Mendip Hills above Cheddar Gorge on limestone bridleway and forest gravel.

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The course

The route

A fully signed gravel route out of Cheddar into the Mendip Hills: limestone bridleway, forest gravel, farm tracks and steep-lane links. Roughly 1,700m of climbing on the 100km flagship, with a shorter 74km option that stays properly hilly.

Weather

Early-April, Cheddar

13°CTypical high

4°CTypical low

-3°CColdest in 20 years

33%Days with rain

Highs around 13°C and lows around 4°C, but it has dropped to -3°C. Rain on 33% of days. Pack for the cold end, not the average.

NASA POWER data, 2006-2025, the week either side of race day

Training

Training for the Somerset Gravel Epic

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.icu

What the Mendips throw at you

Typical sessions

Sustained and steep limestone climbs, roughly 1,700m of it on the 100km. Power to weight, not flat rhythm, sets the pace.

5.5 to 8 hours on the flagship, so climbing durability and fuelling matter as much as raw climbing power.

Rough, often wet limestone descents that reward handling and punish over-braking.

Changeable West Country spring, 6 to 14C and cooler on the exposed tops.

What your weeks look like

Typical sessions

Progressive hilly long ride, building from 2.5 hours to 6 on hilly gravel.

Gravel climb repeats, 3 to 5 times 8 to 12 minutes at 88 to 95% FTP on real climbs.

Event-pace hilly long, 4.5 to 6 hours with full fuelling, rehearsing the day.

Late-climb durability, a 4 to 5 hour ride with the biggest climbs in the back half.

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

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