Gravel Battle of Sumter Forest is 73 miles with roughly 4,481 feet of climbing on fast, rolling Piedmont gravel. The course crosses the river in both directions and passes through the I-26 tunnels before returning to Whitmire.
This is an eight-week plan for Sumter Forest on four to six hours a week, starting from the fitness you already have. It concentrates that time on the repeated climbing and endurance the 73-mile course demands.
73 MI · ~4,481 FT CLIMBING · FAST, ROLLING PIEDMONT GRAVEL THROUGH SUMTER NATIONAL FOREST · 8 WEEKS · 4–6 HR/WK · TIME-CRUNCHED
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Structured workouts on your calendar, with real power and heart-rate graphs
- Strength work built in, with video walkthroughs
- Weekly notes from me, plus the Gravel Grit mental program
- A testing week, so the plan runs on your real numbers
- The full Gravel Battle of Sumter Forest guide — terrain, gearing, fueling
Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party