Join us on October 2 for the Friday Night Community Gathering and October 3 for Gravel Day 2026!
Gravel Day offers unique adventures on the gravel roads and outdoor trails of beautiful southeast Ohio. Participants can select from 11-mile to 48-mile looped gravel cycling routes, 10- and 24-mile mountain biking routes, or the Trail Run/Hike!
NEW Gravel Day Experience
New Mountain Biking Routes
Two new mountain biking routes join Gravel Day, including 10 and 24-mile options, where Riders will experience the Baileys Trail System of world-class machine-built mountain biking trails including a mix of IMBA-rated green (“easy”) and blue (“more difficult”) trails.
calling runners and hikers
Trail Run/Hike Returns
The Trail Run/Hike offers a 3.5 mile looped route through the picturesque property of Snow Fork Event Center! Participants may opt to challenge themselves to both ride and run/hike at Gravel Day. For this option, Riders will first complete their selected cycling route then enter the Trail Run/Hike course, which participants can complete multiple times between 10am and 2:30pm.
Gravel Day
Countdown
UNTIL GRAVEL DAY 2026
Join us on October 2 for the Friday Night Community Gathering and October 3 for Gravel Day 2026.
Gravel Day 2026 Routes
Gravel Nelsonville Loop Route
11 Miles
Want to try out gravel riding? This introductory loop route includes a mix of paved and gravel roads but will challenge you with an elevation gain of 900 feet. Riders should be sure to properly prepare prior to Gravel Day to ensure a great experience!
Gravel Nelsonville Loop Route
25 Miles
Winding through the hills of Athens County, this loop route is an exciting challenge for all Riders, with a total elevation gain of over 1,600 feet. Riders should be sure to properly prepare prior to Gravel Day to ensure a great experience!
Gravel Nelsonville Loop Route
48 Miles
Riding through the hills of Athens County, this loop route is a true adventure and a very challenging option for experienced Riders. This ride will feature multiple sections of climbing with a total elevation gain of over 4,200 feet.
Mountain Biking Nelsonville Loop Route
10 Miles
Experience 10 miles of the Baileys Trail System, which offers world-class machine-built mountain biking trails. You should expect around 1,000 feet of climbing on a mix of IMBA-rated green (“easy”) and blue (“more difficult”) trails.
Mountain Biking Nelsonville Loop Route
24 Miles
This route is full of adventure with nearly 2,500 feet of climbing on IMBA-rated green (“easy”) and blue (“more difficult”) machine-built trails. While the included trails aren’t exceptionally technical, this route will still provide a big challenge for more experienced mountain bikers.
Trail Run/Hike
3.5 Miles
Gravel Day’s run/hike will offer a 3.5-mile looped route through the beautiful property of Snow Fork Event Center, with runners and hikers able to complete the route as many times as desired during the course open hours of 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Gravel Day Routes
Register early!
Because safety and participant experience are our top priorities, each Gravel Day 2026 route will have a set capacity. Routes will fill as participants register. Once a route reaches capacity, it will be sold out.
Register early to secure your preferred distance and start making your impact!
resources
gravel day event handbook
This comprehensive resource includes safety guidelines, training tips, and packing lists to prepare for Gravel Day. Participant schedules are outlined for Friday evening and Saturday routes, plus important information for all Gravel Day Riders and Runners/Hikers to know.
Stay tuned for the 2026 handbook coming soon!
resources
Volunteer opportunities
Gravel Day Weekend
community gathering
Immerse yourself in the Gravel Day experience by joining us at Snow Fork Event Center for a community gathering on Friday evening, October 2, from 6-9pm. Enjoy music, food, drinks, and s’mores by the campfire to come together ahead of Saturday morning. All participants and supporters are welcome to attend, setting the stage for an incredible weekend in southeast Ohio.
Stay tuned for more details to come!
Gravel Day Weekend
Camping
Gravel Day participants have the opportunity to camp on-site at Snow Fork Event Center on Friday evening. Campsites are available for tents, cars, RVs, and motorhomes to make the most of the outdoors, Gravel Day weekend experience.
Stay tuned for more details to come!
Gravel Day FAQs
The Friday Night Community Gathering is October 2 and Gravel Day 2026 is October 3.
Registration opens March 4.
More details for Gravel Day 2026 will be added to this page as they become available!
The minimum age to ride or volunteer is 14; however, any age can participate in Pelotonia as a Challenger.
Yes! Riders can participate in both Ride Weekend and Gravel Day. Riders’ fundraising commitment will increase based on the Ride Weekend route that they select. High Rollers ($5,000 fundraising minimum) will be able to participate in both events at no additional commitment increase.
Some more current road bikes (likely sold in the last five years) allow for more robust tires, which is key for safety and the best experience on gravel routes at Gravel Day. The minimum tire width we would recommend is 35mm. Hardtail mountain bikes would also be a great option that would allow for better handling, more robust tires and a really fun experience.
For the new mountain bike routes, we recommend using a mountain bike with off-road tires. These routes aren’t a good fit for traditional road bikes, even if you’ve added slightly wider tires.
On Gravel Day, e-bikes will be allowed on gravel cycling routes ONLY, and are not permitted on the mountain biking routes utilizing the Baileys Trail System. Please note, that on the gravel cycling routes, no fully motorized bikes which use a throttle are allowed and all electric bikes must have a freely operable pedaling system: rear wheel drive train of pedals, crank, chain, and gear system.
Start or Join a Team
Interested in starting or joining a Peloton? Contact the Community Engagement team at pelotonia@pelotonia.org.
