Natalie's story: Gravel Worlds

BaseCamp athlete Natalie Barron shared her experience at the 2026 Gravel Worlds bike race in Nebraska.

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I was really prepared for this event, but 150 miles of gravel racing is the longest event I’ve ever done, and as I realized around mile 90, I was not fully recovered from being sick earlier in the month. Without the preparation, I would not have finished. The course was great. Smooth fun gravel with almost nothing technical. The heat and humidity were absolutely a factor and really affected me.

I have mixed feelings about the event. Really happy I finished but regret that I couldn’t hold my power plan, which resulted in riding nearly the entire event alone.