Gallery: Core4 places Iowa gravel — and good occasions — on the map

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Good occasions on gravel weren’t simply taking place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado final weekend — there was additionally an excellent celebration:journey ratio over in Iowa Metropolis.

Core4 debuted final yr as a sister occasion to Bentonville’s Rule of Three. What does that imply? For one, a four-pronged method to course creation: singletrack, pavement, Iowa “B” roads, and a ending cyclocross observe. Vibewise, Core4 additionally took cues from RO3, providing three distances, all of which could be raced solo or on a three-person workforce.

Learn additionally: New gravel occasions based on ideas of inclusivity

“Suppose Rock Cobbler (sure, they journey by means of barns ) meets BWR meets RO3,” mentioned race director Alex Buhmeyer.

The 2023 occasion grew 30 p.c from its inaugural version final yr, with round 800 riders toeing the road on August 19. Girls’s ridership accounted for one quarter of complete individuals, and 30 states had been represented, with the largest attracts from Midwestern cities in adjoining states.

With a packed gravel calendar and extra decisions than ever, Core4 works onerous to remain distinctive and keep a “native vibe however on the nationwide stage” feeling. We expect the photographs — by Pecos Springs Pictures — inform that story completely.