Andrea's story: core4

BaseCamp athlete Andrea Troy shared her experience at the 2025 core4 gravel bike race in Iowa.

A Gravel Earth Series event in Iowa City, Iowa? Yes, and for good reason! Promoted as "Iowa's premier run + ride experience: a celebration of community, opportunity, recreation, and engagement. The courses route through champagne gravel, the best B roads, amazing urban experiences, and super fast singletrack." Sounds enticing! And, better yet, the timing worked with Gravel Worlds for bookend weekends in the heartland, and I would have the opportunity to see another special BaseCamp community member, Carol Bell, who lives in Iowa City. Knowing that Gravel Worlds was one of my A events and only a week away, I opted for the short course. No need to be silly.

The pre-ride: The weeks leading into the race were extraordinarily dry. Perfect for the race! I knew the Sugar Bottom singletrack would be the most challenging section on race day, so I headed over to get a flavor of the trails. They were beautiful! Aged pine forests, rocky climbs, and majestic lake views. Riding required deliberate line selection (or hug a tree), extensive gear shifting, and slowing down (and I wasn't going fast). The heat and humidity were intense -– and a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos.

Rolling out of the park en route to rider registration and the evening festivities, the skies darkened. Day became night, and the winds made it hard to stand. It was a deluge. When we finally walked into registration, the organizers made it clear that it was likely that certain B roads and the singletrack would not be passable the next day. They shared that the routes would change to the rain routes.

Race day: The pro men, followed by the women, rolled out under a blue sky. When we started, it was a comfortable 74° F with a light breeze <10 mph. I started further back in the corral than where I should have been, which meant going a bit harder at the start to try and catch up. Even though that never quite happened, I pushed hard for the first hour and half until I reached the muddy B road. My trusty Lauf Seigla allowed me to ride a bit longer than others who did not have ample clearance. Eventually I too succumbed to the mud. Clean and carry.

I attempted to work with several other racers after an aid station, but the group quickly fell apart. The heat and humidity increased dramatically in the next couple of hours, with the temperature in the upper 90s and the real feel? Don't ask. I focused on the fast gravel rollers and pavement reprieves. The last few miles seemed endless. I patiently pedaled toward the cyclocross style finish. Crossing the finish line felt amazing, as did the ice-cold towel!