Gravel Worlds® Mission:
to create a fun, kick-ass gravel event for all levels of athletes to enjoy.
Celebrating over a Decade+ of Gravel Love.
Starting in 2010, Gravel Worlds is celebrating our 16th Gravel Worlds in 2025! We’re so proud to stick to our grassroots and keep our race to what really matters: Friends and Family coming together to ride bikes.
Gravel Worlds History
The Beginning
We started out as a group of friends in 2008 who loved riding and just wanted to play bikes without all the rules. Like kids on a playground we made up our own rules together. No categories, no officials, no prize money, just bumping elbows, bleeding lungs, blown up legs, with beers and stories at the finish. Before Gravel Worlds® our event was called “The Goodlife Gravel Adventure” in 2008 and 2009.
Gravel Worlds 2010
In 2010 we gathered about 100 of our closest friends for the inaugural Gravel Worlds. Some of us came to win, some came just to finish. 150 or so miles of an unknown and unmarked course, navigation was via cue sheets, no support, and only lotto tickets from small town stores to prove you did the whole route. Who knew this game would become part of the culture that we now call #gravelfamily.
Now
The game has grown over the last decade and a half to fit in all the people who want to come play. We have some rules now. We sometimes have to be the “officials” but we are staying true to our roots and just want to have fun playing bikes. Some come to race some come to ride but we all share the same road.
We have been and always will be THE Gravel Worlds® For The People!!
Previous Years
Check out all our Previous Year’s Courses, Photos, and Results.
Gravel Worlds Crew
Jason Strohbehn
Chief Experience Officer/ Lead Promoter
Jason is the CXO/Lead Promoter of Gravel Worlds. Bringing his passion to make sure everyone feels loved and welcomed and has an epic time on the gravel seas. Outside of biking his passions include traveling with his wife (usually Hawaii), photography, and always trying to learning new things.
Sofia Gibson
Assistant Lead Promoter/Outreach Coordinator
Assistant Lead Promoter, Outreach Coordinator, encouragement expert, and all around badass! Sofia may have joined the team in 2021, but she has been an asset to Gravel Worlds from the very beginning in 2010 when she cheered on her dad at the first Gravel Worlds when she was only 13 years old. She currently lives in Nashville, TN but Lincoln calls her home several times a year!
Elli Van Treeck
Volunteer Coordinator
Elli officially joined the team in 2024, but has been riding and volunteering at Gravel Worlds since the 2020 virtual. She’s completed the 50k course every year since. She also runs her own bookkeeping business, so be sure to check out her bookkeeping business, Pothos Bookkeeping.
Hannah Shell
First to Last Coordinator
Hannah is a professional gravel cyclist with a massive passion for the experience of the 99% of riders who attend Gravel Worlds who have no intention or desire to step on top of the podium. She has a heart to raise the experience of every rider who attends a gravel race and wants to help build the community of the Gravel Family.
Jess Hydo
Run Director
My passion for the great outdoors and adventures was reignited. Since then, I have been taking part in many things as I can for my soul and to see what I am capable of. I have run many races from half's to 24hrs. Cycling as a daily commuter to enjoying 200 miles of the cowboy trail. For the last few years, I have been working with some incredible people who have helped unleash a passion for event planning with helping setting up and tear down of many races here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
A Letter From The Gravel Worlds Crew
Gravel Family,
We are so incredibly honored to get to be a part of the Gravel Community! Gravel Worlds has literally been a part of “Gravel” since the beginning. Before there were gravel bikes and gravel-specific * insert bike part here * there was just a group of friends putting a hard gravel course together, setting off with friends, and meeting back up at the end to have a beer to tell your day’s stories. We didn’t ride gravel because it was the cool thing to do, we simply rode gravel because it was what we had and it was fun. So that is what we will always strive for our events, keeping gravel FUN!
Our team truly puts our hearts and souls into Gravel Worlds and we believe that spirit shows in our events. We love celebrating the peak of human performance, but we care just as much about the everyday Joe and Jill who come to our events to challenge themselves and find something in themselves through gravel. We are humbled to know some of our riders spend their hard-earned money and vacation to come to Lincoln, NE on a hot August weekend to experience something special, and we work to make sure you get what you came for.
Above all, we want to say THANK YOU! Thank you to our Volunteers, Sponsors, and most importantly our participants. Thank you to each and every member of our Gravel Family. We know our event means nothing without each of you. We hope our hard work and love shows and you truly feel at home at our events.
Thank you!
Sofia, Dallas, Elli, Jess, Matt, Hannah, Jason
Gravel Worlds® Crew
#RideForRandy
Randy Gibson was one of the greatest humans in our Gravel Family. We lost Randy to a drunk driver in 2017. Those who were blessed to know him still think of him when we throw our leg over and start pedaling on the gravel seas. It didn’t matter if it was 110° or -10°, Randy was on the bike and there was no place he’d rather be. He helped bring Gravel Worlds to where it is today and we will never forget the Friend, Husband, and Father he was. We miss you Randy and we will always strive to treat everyone with love and kindness based on your life example.
Every year since 2018, we have had the Randy Gibson Climbers Jersey that is awarded to the first male, female, and non-binary athlete to reach the top of the biggest climb of that years course.
Randy Gibson
2021 Randy Gibson Climber Jersey Winners:
Chase Wark and Lauren De Crescenzo
2019 RG Climbing Jersey Winners:
Alison Tetrick and Brendan Housler with Christy (far right) and Sofia Gibson (far left)