The Gralloch is a 111-kilometer mass-start race with 1,761 meters of climbing and more than 80 percent gravel through Galloway Forest Park. Repeated climbs, rough forest tracks, three feed zones, and a late four-kilometer descent make pacing and handling as important as raw power.
This eight-week plan assumes a usable endurance base. It concentrates on repeatable climbing, steady fueling, tire and handling practice, and enough late-ride focus to manage the final rough descent without trying to manufacture fitness that cannot be absorbed.
69 MI · 5,778 FT CLIMBING · THE OFFICIAL 111-KILOMETER RACE ROUTE IS MORE THAN 80 PERCENT · 8 WEEKS · 7–11 HR/WK · FINISHER
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 Gralloch 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