← All eventsThe Rift
A remote volcanic-highland gravel ultra through Iceland riding the tectonic rift, out of Hvolsvöllur. The flagship 200 km (~2,600 m, 92% backcountry gravel) features lava rock, multiple river crossings, the Hekla climb, and extreme weather. 2027 date approximate (mid-July).
A gravel ultra that rides the tectonic rift itself, deep into Iceland's volcanic highlands. Raw lava rock, black sand and wide-open backcountry, out where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart.
The surface barely lets up. Washboard and lava batter tyres and bodies from the start. Glacial rivers cross the route, some rideable, some forcing a cold dismount and wet feet.
This is a remote, self-sufficient day of eight to thirteen-plus hours. The Icelandic highland weather is the real competitor: cold rain, genuine hypothermia risk. Kit and resilience decide it as much as legs.
Who finishes, and how
Patterns like these, drawn straight from 2025 race data, are baked into how Beina coaches you for this event.
Is The Rift for you?
- Durable diesel riders who thrive on long, rough days rather than short sharp racing. The 200 is decided in hour ten, not the opening hour.
- Self-sufficient riders comfortable being remote. Long highland sections sit far from help, so composure with a mechanical or a river crossing matters as much as fitness.
- Anyone who embraces bad weather instead of fearing it. Wind, cold and wet are part of the day here, and kit choices count as much as the legs.
- Gravel riders drawn to the wild and unusual. Riding the rift between two continents, past an active volcano, is unlike anything on smooth roads.
Training plan for The Rift
A training plan for The Rift 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.
- Relentless rough backcountry gravel: lava rock, black sand and washboard that punish tyres and bodies.
- Multiple glacial river crossings, some rideable, some forcing a cold dismount and wet feet.
- Extreme, unpredictable weather, with ferocious highland wind the defining variable on exposed sections.
- Real remoteness far from shelter or help, demanding full self-sufficiency and repair skills.
- Progressive long rides on rough gravel, building from 3hr to a 6-8hr peak. This is the core adaptation.
- Event-pace long rides with full fuelling rehearsal, practising 70-100g of carbs an hour, including in the cold.
- Deliberate bad-weather rides in wind, cold and wet to build the resilience Iceland demands.
- Sweet-spot gravel climbs (2-3 x 20min) plus tyre-repair and river-crossing practice for self-sufficiency.
- 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
