142 miles of Colorado ranch gravel from downtown Steamboat Springs — the flagship UCI Gravel World Series qualifier in the American West.
Build Your Personalized Race Fueling Plan — $19SBT GRVL is the flagship gravel event in the American Rockies, starting and finishing on Yampa Street in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Four mass-start distances — Black (142 mi), Blue 100, Green 60 and Yellow 37 — traverse the ranch roads, aspen groves and high pastures of Routt County above 6,700 ft. The Black and Blue routes are UCI Gravel World Series qualifiers, feeding age-group finishers into the UCI Gravel World Championships.
Distance
Black 142 mi · Blue 100 mi · Green 60 mi · Yellow 37 mi
Elevation
Black ≈ 9,500 ft · Blue ≈ 7,600 ft · Green ≈ 4,500 ft
Typical duration
Black: 7 – 13 h · Blue: 5 – 9 h for most amateur finishers
Location
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA — start/finish Yampa Street
Time of year
Historically mid-August; 2027 edition scheduled June
Terrain
80 % ranch gravel and dirt, 20 % pavement connectors, high point ~9,000 ft on Cow Creek
The official SBT GRVL course, elevation profile, and route reference. Use this to plan your pacing, aid-station strategy, and fueling touchpoints.
SBT GRVL Black — 2026 Route
Open in RideWithGPSRoute year
2026
Course change notice
Route based on the 2026 edition. Course details, aid stations, cutoff times and access rules may change year to year. Confirm the latest official race information and route files with SBT GRVL before race day.Get a practical planning document with the course breakdown, aid-station strategy, fueling and hydration worksheets, race-morning timeline, equipment checklist, crew notes, and space for your own plan.
Start elevation 6,732 ft with the Black route climbing repeatedly to ~9,000 ft on Cow Creek. VO₂ max is suppressed 6–10 % at this altitude and gastric emptying slows — sea-level fueling numbers rarely transfer directly.
Low humidity and elevated respiratory water loss can double insensible fluid losses. Riders arriving from sea level often reach the first aid station already 2 % dehydrated.
Black and Blue routes have 20–35 mile gaps between neutral aid stations. Bottle capacity, mix concentration and self-support tools matter more than at most gravel events.
The signature ~5 mi climb around mile 90–105 on the Black route sits above 8,500 ft late in the day. Under-fueled riders lose 20–40 minutes here — not to gradient, but to hypoxia and empty tank.
50 °F starts on Yampa Street give way to 85 °F midday highs on exposed ranch roads and realistic afternoon thunderstorms. Layering and sunscreen strategy is a real variable, not a nice-to-have.
3,000+ riders roll out together. Front groups splinter hard in the first 20 mi on dirt, and the wrong split costs 30–60 min by the finish. Pack skills on loose surface pay dividends.
A tactical breakdown of the SBT GRVL course. Use this to plan pacing, fueling touchpoints and where to conserve versus commit.
| Segment | Mile | Elevation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral rollout — Yampa St → Elk River Rd | 0 – 5 | Flat | Controlled rollout through downtown. Do not chase — the field neutralizes at 15–18 mph until the first turn onto gravel.Surface: Pavement |
| Elk River gravel → County Road 129 | 5 – 22 | ≈ 900 ft gain | First selection point. Front groups form here. If you are targeting a group finish, spend a match to hold a wheel across the first punchy climbs — Blue riders should stay conservative.Surface: Smooth ranch gravel |
| Steamboat Lake loop | 22 – 55 | ≈ 2,200 ft gain (rolling) | Long rolling ranch country around Steamboat Lake and Hahn's Peak. Sit in, drink constantly, eat every 15 min. This is where Black riders bank calories for Cow Creek.Surface: Gravel + short pavement links |
| North Routt → Willow Creek Pass approach | 55 – 90 | ≈ 2,400 ft gain | Exposed, hot, often solo. Sun and wind exposure are the story. Cap effort — Cow Creek is next and unforgiving on tired legs.Surface: Doubletrack ranch gravel, some washboard |
| Cow Creek climb (signature) | ≈ 90 – 105 | ≈ 1,800 ft gain to ~9,000 ft | The defining climb of the Black route. Pace by HR/altitude-adjusted power, not by ego. Force a gel at the base and one halfway up.Surface: Steady gravel gradient 4–7 % |
| Cow Creek descent → Clark | 105 – 125 | ≈ 1,500 ft loss | Recover, eat, drink — but stay upright. Loose corners at speed. Refill mentally before the run home.Surface: Fast gravel descent + rolling |
| Elk River return → Steamboat | 125 – 142 | Net downhill with punchy risers | Deceptive false-flat pavement finish along the Yampa. Ride to power or HR, not to feel. Save one gel for the final 30 minutes.Surface: Gravel → pavement |
Every aid station along the SBT GRVL course, with crew access, drop-bag rules and the fueling action to execute at each stop.
Quick bottle top-off if needed, otherwise ride through. First real fueling check — should already have 40+ g CHO in the tank.
Full reset. Two full bottles, 60 g CHO on board for the run to Cow Creek, second caffeine dose staged, layers off, sunscreen re-applied. < 3 min.
Neutral aid — water and calories. Take one bottle even if not empty, one gel and a salt tab before the climb.
Refill everything. Eat one real item (rice cake, half a sandwich). Confirm cutoff margin. Force calories even if appetite is gone.
Final chance. Force one full bottle and 60 g of carbs even if you feel fine. Save one gel for the last 30 min into Steamboat.
General, evidence-based guidance. Numbers should always be personalized to sweat rate, body mass, fitness and weather.
Evidence supports 60–90 g/hr of mixed glucose:fructose (~1:0.8) for events over 3 h, with trained guts tolerating 100–120 g/hr on gravel. At SBT's altitude most riders sit at the middle of that range on Blue and the lower end late on Black.
Baseline 17–34 fl oz/hr, biased upward on 80 °F+ ranch sections and downward in cool morning shadow. Dry mountain air adds ~7 fl oz/hr of respiratory loss vs sea level.
400–1,000 mg/L of fluid, matched to sweat sodium. Salty sweaters or riders coming from sea level typically need the upper end to avoid late-race cramping on Cow Creek.
3–6 mg/kg body mass split across the race. Common Black-route plan: 100–200 mg pre-start, 100 mg at Steamboat Lake, 100 mg at the base of Cow Creek.
Neutral aids are staffed with water, sports drink, gels and basics — but branded product varies year to year. Plan every calorie yourself; treat aid as bottle refills + salt snacks, not a fueling substitute.
1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 2–4 h before the gun from familiar low-fiber, low-fat foods. Steamboat cafés open early on race day — but experiment with menus in the days before, never race morning.
Fuel by the clock, not by feel. 15-minute head-unit alarm from the neutral rollout on Yampa Street. On Black, force a solid item (rice cake, half a bar) every 90 minutes to buffer gel fatigue.
Within 60 min of the finish: 1.0–1.2 g/kg CHO + 0.3 g/kg protein + fluids to replace 150 % of body-mass loss with sodium. Steamboat's hot springs are legendary — go after you have eaten, not instead of.
A structured 48–72 hour carbohydrate-loading protocol tuned for a long day at altitude. Rehearse it before a training block, not for the first time on race week.
Target 8–10 g/kg body mass per day of carbohydrate from familiar low-fiber sources: rice, pasta, potato, bread, sports drinks, honey. A 154 lb rider aims for 560–700 g CHO/day. Reduce fat and fiber to protect the gut on race morning.
Keep protein moderate (1.2–1.6 g/kg/day). Reduce fat to ~0.5–0.8 g/kg/day. This is not the week for heavy sauces, cheese boards or fried foods — they slow gastric emptying and displace glycogen.
Drink to pale-yellow urine, add 500–1,000 mg sodium per liter of fluid on the two days before the race. Plasma volume expansion supports thermoregulation at altitude.
1–4 g/kg CHO 2–4 h before the gun, from foods rehearsed in training. Oatmeal + banana + honey, bagel + jam, or a rice bowl are proven. Avoid anything new, greasy or high-fiber.
Aid-station splits for the two headline finish goals at SBT GRVL: the Big Buckle (sub-9) and the Silver Buckle (sub-12). Use as planning anchors, not as commitments — weather, altitude adaptation and pack dynamics all shift real splits.
| Checkpoint | Sub-9 (Big Buckle) | Sub-12 (Silver Buckle) |
|---|---|---|
| Aid 1 — CR 129 / Clark ≈ mile 22 | 1h 05min – 1h 15min | 1h 25min – 1h 45min |
| Aid 2 — Steamboat Lake ≈ mile 55 | 2h 45min – 3h 05min | 3h 45min – 4h 30min |
| Aid 3 — Pre-Cow Creek ≈ mile 90 | 4h 45min – 5h 15min | 6h 30min – 7h 45min |
| Aid 4 — Post-Cow Creek ≈ mile 105 | 5h 45min – 6h 20min | 8h 00min – 9h 30min |
| Aid 5 — Clark return ≈ mile 125 | 7h 00min – 7h 45min | 9h 45min – 11h 15min |
| Finish — Black 142 mi | ≤ 9h 00min (strong amateur) | ≤ 12h 00min (finisher) |
Ride patiently at the neutral pace. Do not burn matches to move up in the field before the first gravel section — position rarely holds through the first climb.
Cap effort at 85–90 % of altitude-adjusted FTP or upper Zone 2 HR. The front group inevitably surges — let it go if it means going anaerobic at 7,500 ft.
Sit at endurance-tempo (~75–80 % FTP). This is calorie-banking time — every gel and sip here pays off on Cow Creek.
Force one gel and 7 fl oz of mix in the 15 minutes before the climb. Reset HR at the base if possible with 60–90 seconds of easy pedaling.
Target 78–85 % of altitude-adjusted FTP or top of Zone 2 HR. Above 8,500 ft, expect power to drop 5–8 % for the same perceived effort — that is normal, not a bonk.
Ride within your skills. A crash or flat costs 15–30 minutes; 30 seconds saved through a loose corner does not.
Pace by HR or power on the Elk River return — the false-flat pavement into Steamboat hides how much you are pushing. Save one gel for the last 30 minutes.
Evidence-based prevention and safety guidance for SBT GRVL. Not medical advice — discuss altitude medications and pre-existing conditions with a qualified physician.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) presents as headache, nausea, fatigue, disturbed sleep and loss of appetite above 8,000 ft. Steamboat sits at 6,732 ft — mild symptoms are less common than at Leadville but still real for sea-level riders.
Best case: arrive 10–14 days early to let your body adapt. Alternate: arrive within 24 hours of the start so the acute response has not yet peaked. The 3–7 day window is the worst — past the honeymoon and not yet adapted.
Dry mountain air doubles insensible fluid loss. Drink 101–135 fl oz per day of race week with sodium, and avoid alcohol entirely for the final 72 hours. Alcohol worsens sleep, dehydrates, and slows adaptation.
Low ferritin (<40 ng/mL) blunts the altitude erythropoietic response. Test 10–12 weeks out so there is time to correct with diet or supplementation. Iron is one of the highest-leverage interventions for sea-level athletes.
A dedicated gravel bike with clearance for 45+ mm tires wins. Endurance road bikes with 35 mm tires survive Green and Yellow but suffer on Black's washboard sections.
40–45 mm tubeless is the sweet spot. Reinforced casings (Pathfinder Pro, G-One Bite, Terra Speed) balance rolling resistance and puncture protection for the mixed ranch surfaces.
Starting point for a 154–176 lb rider on 25 mm internal rims: 30–36 psi front, 32–38 psi rear. Add 1–2 psi for heavier riders or narrower rims. Test on similar terrain — Yampa Valley washboard is unforgiving on low pressure.
1×12 with 40–42 T front + 10–44 T (or 10–46 T) cassette handles Cow Creek for most amateurs. 2× riders often go 46/30 front + 11–34 rear for finer steps.
Two large bottle cages minimum plus a top-tube feed bag. Some Black riders add a third cage or a small hydration pack for the 30 mi gap to Cow Creek.
Flared bars (Salsa Cowbell, Zipp Service Course SL) add stability on gravel descents. Chamois choice matters — 7+ hours on a Black-route saddle exposes any pressure point.
Minimum: 2× CO2 + inflator, tire plug kit, mini pump, spare tube, tire lever, chain quick link, multi-tool with chain breaker, spare derailleur hanger. Zip-tie a valve core tool to your frame.
Successful Black finishers build to 12–16 hours per week for 10–14 weeks pre-race, with the final long ride 3 weeks out and a 2-week taper.
Progress long rides toward 6–8 hours with 6,000–9,000 ft of climbing on mixed gravel. In the final 6 weeks, add at least two rides at moderate altitude if possible.
Best case: 10–14 days at 6,000+ ft before race week. Alternates: altitude tent, a training camp 4–6 weeks out, or arriving within 24 h of the start to minimize the acute-response window.
Weekly threshold intervals (2× 20 min or 3× 15 min at 90–100 % FTP) and one long tempo block (60–90 min at 85 %) for 8–10 weeks. SBT rewards steady sustainable power more than repeated attacks.
One sustained climb per week of 30–75 minutes at threshold or high tempo mirrors the Cow Creek demand. Use a trainer incline profile if the terrain does not exist locally.
One weekly ride on loose gravel to train pack skills, cornering and line choice at 25+ mph. Fitness without handling costs time — and skin — on descents.
Every long ride is a fueling rehearsal. Hit 60–90 g/hr of carbohydrate on 5 h rides and 90–120 g/hr on your longest rides to train the gut.
10–14 days of heat exposure late in the build expands plasma volume, which helps at altitude and in Yampa Valley midday heat. Test ferritin 10–12 weeks out — below ~40 ng/mL blunts altitude adaptation.
| T-4 h (≈ 2:30 AM) | Wake, coffee, first breakfast (1–2 g/kg CHO): oatmeal, banana, honey. Hydrate 17 fl oz with sodium. |
|---|---|
| T-2 h | Second small feed (~50 g CHO) — bagel, jam, sports drink. Chamois cream, sunscreen, kit on. |
| T-90 min | Bike check — pressure, brakes, computer, bottles loaded, top-tube bag stocked. Layer for 50 °F start. |
| T-45 min | Ride to Yampa Street corral. Sip 7–10 fl oz of sports drink. Restroom. |
| T-20 min | In corral. First caffeine dose (100–200 mg gel or gum). Final layering call. |
| T-5 min | Half a gel. Breathe. Confirm HR/power start plan with yourself. |
| T+0 | Rollout up Yampa Street. Neutral pace — ride patiently to the first gravel turn. |
Every entry route into the SBT GRVL, from the annual lottery to qualifier races, coaching-program slots and charity entries.
The primary entry route. Registration opens via lottery on sbtgrvl.com, typically in late fall for the following year's edition. Slots fill within days. Lottery losers are refunded the entry fee.
A limited number of coaching-program slots are bundled with training packages from partner coaches. Cost runs $1,500–$3,000+ and includes structured training alongside the entry.
Partner nonprofits (Yampa Valley Sustainability Council and others in recent years) offer entries in exchange for fundraising commitments (typically $1,500–$3,500). A meaningful path for riders who missed the lottery.
Recent editions run approximately $325–$395 USD depending on route, with early-registration discounts. Confirm current pricing on the official site.
Airports, lodging, packet pickup, parking and crew access for the SBT GRVL.
Yampa Valley Regional (HDN) is 25 min by car and has direct flights from major hubs in ski season only. Denver International (DEN) is 3 h by car via I-70 west + US-40 north — the most common option. Rent a car; local shuttles exist but are limited.
Downtown Steamboat Springs hotels and short-term rentals within walking distance of Yampa Street book 6–12 months in advance. Advantage: you sleep at 6,732 ft for full acclimatization and are minutes from the start line.
Steamboat Ski Area (5 min, 6,900 ft), Oak Creek (20 min, 7,400 ft) and Hayden (25 min, 6,340 ft) are common fall-backs. All are within acclimatization altitude.
Held Thursday and Friday of race week at the SBT GRVL event village on Yampa Street. Includes swag pickup, expo, sponsor booths and the pre-race athlete briefing. Attend the Friday briefing — course changes are announced there.
Race starts on Yampa Street in downtown Steamboat Springs. Downtown parking closes race morning — plan to ride 10–15 minutes from your lodging or use a designated remote lot with shuttle.
The finish is on Yampa Street, same location as the start. Finisher food, live music, and medical are on-site. Recovery meal usually within 60 minutes of finishing.
Crew access is limited but real at Steamboat Lake (Black route) and the finish. Print a crew brief with exact bottle/gel/layer handoffs. Do not rely on aid station volunteers for personal fueling.
The 5-mile pavement rollout out of town feels controlled — then splinters violently at the first gravel section. Riders who burn matches to hold a wheel here pay for it after mile 80.
20–35 mi between aids at altitude means at least 51 fl oz on the bike between refills. A single bottle empties in 60 min and leaves 60+ min dry.
Treating sea-level FTP as truth on the Cow Creek climb ends the day. Pace by HR or altitude-adjusted power (−7 to −10 %).
Ranch gravel varies from smooth hardpack to washboard to golfball rock. Rehearse casing and pressure on similar terrain — never debut on Yampa Street.
50 °F rollout at 6:30 AM chills fingers and toes. Arm warmers and a light gilet stashed at the first aid cost nothing and preserve the first hour.
High-altitude UV at 8,000 ft on exposed ranches is brutal. A sunburn by mile 60 accelerates dehydration and destroys the last four hours.
Thirst lags fluid deficit by 1–2 % — and at altitude the cue is even blunter. Structured drinking always beats reactive drinking.
Neutral aids on Black are 60–90 min apart. A pre-written card taped to your top tube (bottles, calories, layers, caffeine) prevents 3–5 min of standing decisions per stop.
Little Sugar or Unbound heat playbooks do not transfer. Altitude, dry air and long climbs punish riders who arrive without an altitude-specific plan.
Crew access is limited but real at Steamboat Lake (Black) and the finish. If your crew does not know exactly what to hand up, you will lose minutes and calories.
SBT GRVL was founded in 2019 by Amy Charity, Ken Benesh and Mark Satkiewicz to bring a world-class gravel event to Steamboat Springs — a nod to 'Steamboat' (SBT) and the vowel-less gravel naming convention.
The event scaled from ~1,000 riders in its first edition to 3,000+ across four distances within three years. Its production, ranch-road terrain and Yampa Street start have made it a benchmark for large-format gravel in the American West.
SBT GRVL joined the UCI Gravel World Series in 2023, making the Black and Blue routes qualifiers for the UCI Gravel World Championships. Top age-group finishers earn worlds slots each year.
Lachlan Morton, Ian Boswell, Alexey Vermeulen, Sarah Sturm and other top gravel and WorldTour athletes have raced or won at SBT. The elite field depth has risen sharply since UCI qualification began.
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.
Free calculators, checklists and articles to help you personalize your SBT GRVL plan.
Get a practical planning document with the course breakdown, aid-station strategy, fueling and hydration worksheets, race-morning timeline, equipment checklist, crew notes, and space for your own plan.
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.
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.
