It wasn’t meant to be easy…
We didn’t design the SEVEN Gravel Race to be easy. From the beginning, our plan was to create an event of epic proportions that could be compared to an early stage of the Tour de France or a current monument of cycling like the Paris-Roubaix. It was an ambitious goal, and not one to be judged by those who haven’t actually ridden the course. For many, just completing the ≈125km course in the allotted ten hours will be an achievement. For others, qualifying for the Gravel World Championship and the chance to race against the world’s best riders will be their measure. We would be wrong to say there is no fail, as a number of riders do miss the cut-off each year. There will always be next year. For some, completing the ≈85km FIVE course, the ≈45km THREE course or the ≈25km ONE course will be enough to redefine their limits.
UCI Gravel World Series
SEVEN is a world-class course. In 2024 the SEVEN Gravel Race joins twenty-five other events around the world as a part of the UCI’s Gravel World Series. In 2026, we will host the Gravel World Championships. For us, it is about “making your bike bike world bigger”. We hope that many of our SEVEN riders will consider entering other events in the series. Perhaps one day we will even have our own SEVEN team roaming the globe and churning up the gravel miles against the world’s best?
Location
The SEVEN Gravel Race course starts and finishes in the picturesque township of Nannup, approximately 40 minutes drive from the major regional centres of Busselton, Bridgetown and Margaret River. The Nannup Recreation Precinct is the location of our Event Village. The route winds its way around the golden triangle of cycling in WA that is formed by connecting the townships of Nannup, Bridgetown and Donnybrook. This area is estimated to be around 30,000 acres and has in excess of 1000km of rideable roads and trails. Read more about the trees and trails of the beautiful Blackwood Valley. If you need help with getting to and from Nannup, especially if you are travelling from interstate or overseas, our travel coordinators at Travel and Sports Australia (TASA) are ready to help.
The Climbs
The full ≈125km course has in excess of 3200 vertical metres of climbing. Thanks to the unique topography of the valley and peaks between Nannup and Balingup, the ten major climbs of SEVEN are amongst the best that the State has to offer. These climbs range in length from 1.2km to 4.5km long with gradients frequently touching on 20%. Our advice is to not use too much energy too early. The Category 3 climbs of Brockman, Arcadia, Ellis Creek, Pinaster & Pallustris, Spur and Hideaway are particularly challenging for tired legs. See where the climbs are located along the course.
The Road Surfaces
The route has only 2kms of wide single track towards the end and virtually no fire trails. All the roads used in SEVEN are unpaved and well-formed with a mix of dirt, gravel, hard-packed clay, quartz grit and mica. They wind, climb, switchback and descend through pine plantations, state forest and farms. The best way we can describe the roads of SEVEN is “parallel single track”. They are exciting, challenging and magnificent to ride. Whilst the full race routes for the SEVEN and FIVE courses aren’t open to the public in ordinary time, the training routes give riders a true taste of the full course, and are open year-round.
Who can enter?
The full SEVEN course is open to all riders 19+ years of age, however a medium to high level of fitness will be required to complete all seven sectors in the allotted ten hours. The FIVE course is open to riders 18+ years, the THREE course is open to riders 16+ years and the ONE course is open to riders 10+ years. The event is not suitable for road bikes, but e-MTBs are welcome (non-competitive).
