Genesis Bikes and Maxxis join The Gralloch Ultra as full 323km route unveiled

Red On Sports today have announced Genesis Bikes as title sponsor of The Gralloch Ultra, with Maxxis joining as presenting partner of The Gralloch’s new 323km ultra distance.

Both partnerships are multi-year commitments. The event will now be known as The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis – a suitably epic title for an XXL race!

The new Ultra joins The Gralloch’s now well-established UCI race on Saturday 16 May (one of only two UK qualifiers in the UCI Gravel World Series, alongside Graean Cymru), and the sportive version which takes place on Sunday 17 May.

The announcement coincides with the full unveiling of the 2026 route: 323 kilometres and 4,819 metres of climbing through the Galloway Forest Park and the hills of East and Southern Ayrshire. The route takes riders through private estates, renewable energy landscapes, ancient forests and remote Galloway glens, covering ground that most riders will never otherwise see.

Departing Gatehouse of Fleet at dawn on Saturday, 16 May 2026, the route traces eight distinct sections across the wild interior of Southern Scotland. From the opening climbs past Loch Skerrow and Slaughter Hill to the champagne gravel of Raiders Road Forest Drive; from Forrest Estate and the first real test of Torrs Hill to the gravel superhighways of North & South Kyle Wind Farm, where the highest point of the route exceeds 500 metres.

Riders pass through Craigengillan Estate, a 3,000-acre landscape of native woodland and loch, before the route enters its most remote passage: 50 kilometres through the southern reaches of Changue and Carrick Forest with almost no sign of civilisation.

For those riding into darkness, the Galloway Dark Sky Park delivers a sky full of stars past Bruce’s Stone and the shores of Loch Trool. The final kilometres bring riders back through the forest beneath the twenty granite arches of the Big Water of Fleet Viaduct before a 10km descent returns them to Garries Park and the finish in Gatehouse of Fleet.

“A route like this doesn’t begin with a map,” says Maximilian Wussler, Co-founder of Red On Sports. “It begins with ideas and conversations. We’ve worked closely with Forestry and Land Scotland, regional councils, private estates, working farms and individual landowners who are willing to open their ground to an event of this nature.

“Each section of this route exists because someone said yes, and we are genuinely grateful to every one of them. Getting that buy-in across 323 kilometres of such varied land is no small undertaking, and it is what makes this route unlike anything else in UK gravel. To then have Genesis and Maxxis come in behind that vision, on multi-year commitments, in the inaugural year of the event, means a great deal. Their belief in what the Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis can become gives us the platform to build something that will grow year on year.”

Kellie Parsons, Marketing Director at Madison and Sportline, adds: “We’re delighted to partner with the Gralloch Ultra alongside Genesis and Maxxis for the next two years. The Gralloch Ultra is a fantastic, growing gravel event that is a perfect fit for Genesis.

“Not only are Genesis bikes ideally suited to demanding off-road adventures, but the event’s strong community focus aligns closely with the brand’s values. Meanwhile, Maxxis offers an outstanding range of gravel tyres, with exciting new technologies on the horizon. 300+km of Galloway gravel really is the ultimate proving ground.”

Riders entered in The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis can expect demo opportunities, on-route support, activations across the festival weekend and dedicated tyre guidance and technical content from both brands in the lead-up to the event.

The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis is a semi-supported ultra-distance event. The full route and GPX file are available at www.grallochgravel.com/ultra-route. 

Registration for the 2026 event remains open at www.grallochgravel.com.