← All eventsWessex Gravel Epic
Accessible fully-signed gravel sportive over rolling Wessex downland from Frome — 100/66/50km, feed stations, no cut-offs. Climbing estimated. Date approximate.
A fully-signed gravel sportive over the rolling chalk downland around Frome, with three routes to pick from: 100km, 66km or 50km. Feed stations on course, a medal and a beer at the line, and no cut-offs at all.
There are no mountains here. The challenge is accumulation: downland rollers, mixed farm-track and chalk byway, and distance that stacks up over a long day out.
The 50km is a genuine first-gravel goal. The 100km is a real four-to-six-hour endurance ride. With no clock forcing your hand, you choose the day that fits and ride it at your own pace.
Is Wessex Gravel Epic for you?
- First-time gravel riders. No cut-offs, feed stations and a welcoming 50km route make a big off-road day feel achievable rather than intimidating.
- Diesel-engine endurance riders who pace and fuel. The 100km is won over four-to-six hours of steady rolling tempo, not with punchy power.
- Roadies moving onto gravel. It runs on hard-pack tracks and byways, not technical singletrack, so a gravel bike and a bit of surface confidence is enough.
- Riders who want to choose their own day. Three route lengths mean you match the distance to your training, then just enjoy the downland.
Training plan for Wessex Gravel Epic
A training plan for Wessex 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 accumulation: no big climbs, but the downland rollers add up over 100km. A durability day, not a climbing test.
- Mixed surfaces: hard-pack tracks and chalk-limestone byways that turn greasy and draggy after rain.
- Fuelling a four-to-six-hour ride: the back half is decided by eating and pacing, not peak power.
- Exposed downland tops that catch a real headwind on the open drags.
- Progressive long rides on gravel, building from 1.5 hours toward a 3 to 4 hour peak.
- Event-pace long rides of 3 to 4 hours with a full fuelling rehearsal at 60 to 90g of carbs an hour.
- Tempo-in-long: 2 to 3 blocks of 15 to 25 minutes of tempo held deep into a long ride.
- Mixed-surface handling on hard-pack and greasy chalk, plus a tubeless plug and tube change 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
