Shannon's story: Gravel Worlds

BaseCamp athlete Shannon Scanlon shared her experience at the 2026 Gravel Worlds bike race in Nebraska.

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Gravel Worlds was a "B" event and preparation for my "A" event in Oct. After coming off 10 days in France, my legs were tired, and I wasn't sure I had the power needed to really race this course. Jill had me taper some in the week prior to Gravel Worlds and I was happy my legs showed up.

With the MMR removed from the route this year was FAST. Faster than I ever thought I would be able to race on gravel. Of course we had a "hard start," which is typical of gravel. I gave myself 20 minutes to stay with the lead group and stay within a Sweet Spot effort. After 18 minutes I lost the lead group and settled in with Namrita and 2 other men. We were riding a manageable pace, and I allowed the guys to pull. After a few miles, the 2nd group caught us, and we rolled nicely to the SAC aid station together as a large group at mile 44. I followed Namrita's lead, using the downhills to power down and work myself towards the front of the group several times. I had to put in a few efforts to close gaps and catch back on the turns but otherwise kept a consistent Tempo pace.

Once through the SAC aid, the group split some, and I had to chance back to regroup. I used the asphalt and burned a couple matches, which I felt paid off, catching the group before the turn on to the gravel. I felt we rolled a little slower than I wanted to the Lauf aid station, but I wasn't willing to leave the group to put in a solo effort.

After rolling through the last aid station, we had 6-8 in our group now. Jane came to the front and suggested we rotate taking 1-minute pulls. I was excited to execute this plan, knowing we would get back to the pace and power target I was hoping for in the final miles. Unfortunately I got a left hamstring cramp on a climb just before my turn to pull. I pulled out of the paceline and just shifted into a lower gear to spin out the cramp. Losing the group, I kept a consistent Tempo power to manage the cramps. I put on my music at this point to get in a zone and kept telling myself, "You can do hard things." I didn't want the disappointment of losing the group or my body failing me to derail my day.

Once we hit the asphalt again, I figured this was chance to bridge the gap and worth burning a few matches. I closed the gap but was only able to stay with the group for about a mile when both legs started to cramp. I tried my high-cadence spinning, but nothing was working. I had to come off the bike.

A bike angel was there to offer me encouragement and a shot of pickle juice that saved the day. I was able to resume riding, but only at an Endurance pace. I was disappointed when I saw Christine pass me, knowing I most likely lost a place in my age group. Overall, I met all my race goals and was able to pace the race well. My nutrition plan worked, and I saved time not having to stop at the aid stations. It was a good day and a race I can be proud of.