Ken's story: Gravel Worlds

BaseCamp athlete Ken Carl shared his experience at the 2026 Gravel Worlds bike race in Nebraska.

Gravel Worlds : It was another planet! race report

For many of us, Gravel Worlds was a set date. An adventure in waiting. We spoke, planned, trained, and when the day came, it was still filled with surprises and discoveries.

The Basics

I raced the 75 mile distance.

Goals: Time target, 5 hours. Place in age group 70+ top ten

Realized: Finish time 4:40. Place, Sixth

Thoughts, emotions and gratitude.

Coach Kathy Watts did an amazing job of training plan specificity. 30 x 30 gravel builders, gravel Tempo intervals, "sea of hills," etc. After one seriously hard workout, I was wondering if Gravel Worlds actually could be really this hard. Reality it was harder.

Two month ago I dug deep to stand on the top podium at Coast 2 Coast. Gravel Worlds is not Coast 2 Coast. It is much harder, even if the distance was shorter.

Race Actual

We all shared the stress of the evening rains, course changes, and pre-dawn alarms. That was perhaps the only time we all stood on a level playing field. For the gun NOTHING was level. This was my first Gravel Worlds. It is hard to believe that the rollers are endless truly. They do have an end, at the finish line.

The race had a calmer beginning, meaning the first 4 minutes and 48 seconds. Then the mythical flag dropped, and it was game on. The BaseCamp guardian angel guided me through the masses on to the wheel of Coach Brian Hammond. Perfection unexpected. Brian set the exact pace Coach Tim Cusick and Kathy had discussed. Threshold to FTP on the climbs and Tempo/Endurance on the back end of the roller into the next climb. Flatten the hills and roll the flats. Wash the rice and repeat. Zen the course. A note on sticking with the plan: riders who powered the climbs and dropped me in the opening 33 miles I passed in the final 20. That was gratifying.

Race plan

Ride solid and burn smart match to stay with a group into the museum rest stop at 44 miles. Success, even though I did ride a very soft rear wheel for the at least 10 miles going into the 44 mile stop. Grateful for the Shimano mechanics there. They took my bike, did an overall check, and refilled my tire as i filled my water bottles. Less than 5 minutes, and I was racing again. Coming out of the museum, the groups had broken up, and it was solo time for a bit. Soon, though, we had a nice BaseCamp group, including Lynn and two others (embarrassed confession to not retain names). The heat began to take effect, and I had to make a racer decision: keep rolling past the last aid station or stop for a water splashdown. Determined that cooling off, controlling my core temperature, would add power to my finish, the time cost of stopping was less than the power loss of over heating. The TP chart numbers said I made the right choice. This would be important, the difference between finishing top 10 or out of top 10.

Our coaching team statement, "race through the finish line," always plays loud in the closing 5 miles. When we have no idea who our competition is or where they are, you can make a choice: A: keep racing or B: sit up and phone it in. One hurts yet brings rewards. The other hurts less until it hurts more.

In the closing miles, I pushed to keep passing the next rider. Racing through the finish line made all the difference. Less than 3 minutes separated my 6th place and dropping out of the top 10. Lessons reinforced: A. listen to your coach external and internal. B. Trust your training. C. Do not leave BaseCamp!

Thank you again and again to everyone for every hug, smile, word of encouragement, guiding wheel, and that wonderful much-needed cold towel on my neck from Coach Lorri Lee Lown at the finish!