Carbohydrate strategy
60–90 g/hr for most trained riders, weighted toward liquid and gel to survive the descents and short technical sectors.
Overview
Big Sugar Gravel is a signature Ozark gravel race starting and finishing in Bentonville, Arkansas. It combines chunky limestone chert gravel, punchy climbs and long, high-speed descents that demand focused fueling and pacing.
Distance
≈ 106 miles for the main event
Elevation
≈ 8,000 ft of climbing
Typical duration
5.5 – 9 hours for most amateur finishers
Location
Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
Time of year
Late October
Terrain
Chunky limestone chert gravel with paved connectors
Download the free printable race-day fueling checklist for Big Sugar Gravel
A practical race-week checklist: carbs, hydration, sodium, caffeine and race-day supplies — print it or keep it on your phone.
Why Big Sugar is challenging
Chunky, rolling-resistance surface
Big Sugar's limestone is sharp and loose. Rolling resistance is meaningfully higher than smooth Midwest gravel, driving calorie demand up for a given speed.
Punchy climbs
Repeated short, steep climbs push into VO₂ efforts. Repeated glycogen sprints deplete fuel faster than steady tempo miles.
Temperature range
Ozark late-October starts can be near freezing with afternoons in the 70s. Layering and cold-weather hydration compliance both matter.
Descent focus
High-speed descents on loose chert leave no bandwidth for fueling. Plan intake for climbs and rollers, not descents.
Aid spacing
Aid gaps push 60+ minutes for mid-pack riders. Bottle capacity and self-sufficiency shape outcomes.
Fueling challenges & strategy
General, evidence-based guidance. Numbers should always be personalized to sweat rate, body mass, fitness and weather.
Hydration
17–34 fl oz/hr, adjusted for temperature and start-hour cold suppression of thirst.
Sodium
400–1000 mg/L of fluid, tuned to sweat testing. Ozark humidity can drive sweat rates higher than the temperature suggests.
Caffeine
3–6 mg/kg split across the race, with a dose held for the second half to protect focus on chunky descents.
Aid station strategy
Plan every stop as a bottle swap first. Solid food only if it has been rehearsed at race pace.
Pre-race breakfast
1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 2–4 hours pre-start, from familiar low-fiber foods.
During-race execution
Alarm-based intake every 15–20 minutes. Front-load before every climb and rehearse eating one-handed on chunky terrain.
Recovery
1.0–1.2 g/kg carbohydrate and 0.3 g/kg protein within 60 minutes, plus 150% fluid replacement.
What most riders get wrong
- 01
Under-fueling the punchy climbs
Short climbs feel like sprints, not endurance efforts, and burn glycogen accordingly. Fuel like a long-day race, not a road criterium.
- 02
Trying to eat solid food on descents
High-speed chert leaves no margin for one-handed riding. Time your calories to the climbs.
- 03
Cold-start under-drinking
A 40 °F start suppresses thirst even as sweat losses on the first climb are already meaningful.
- 04
Copying road-race intake
Rolling resistance on Ozark chert is higher than pavement or smooth gravel. Calorie demand scales with it.
- 05
Skipping the last aid station
The final 20 miles are where under-fueled riders lose 5–15 minutes to riders they were with all day.
- 06
New products on race day
Chunky terrain and long time-on-course amplify GI risk. Race only what you've trained.
Why generic fueling plans don't work for Big Sugar
Two riders on the same start line can need very different fueling. FTP, target finish time, body mass, sweat rate, temperature, altitude adaptation, nutrition products and race goals all change the answer. A generic 60 g/hr recommendation is a starting point, not a plan.
- FTP
- Finish time
- Body weight
- Sweat rate
- Weather
- Products
- Goals
- Course
Related FuelQ resources
Free calculators, checklists and articles to help you personalize your Big Sugar plan.
Related content
Frequently asked questions
Download the free printable race-day fueling checklist for Big Sugar Gravel
A practical race-week checklist: carbs, hydration, sodium, caffeine and race-day supplies — print it or keep it on your phone.
Generic fueling plans don't work for Big Sugar.
Every athlete is different. FTP, finish time, body weight, sweat rate, weather, nutrition preferences and race goals all change what you should eat and drink.
FuelQ Pro builds a personalized race fueling strategy tuned to your ride — carbohydrate, hydration, sodium, caffeine and recovery, mapped to the course.
Start with the free checklist
A Race Fueling Plan gives you a personalized strategy for this event. The free checklist helps you prepare the basics first: race-week setup, 48-hour prep, race morning, hydration, sodium, caffeine, aid stations, and backup calories.
