The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has officially unveiled the courses for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships, taking place on 10–11 October 2026 in Nannup, Western Australia — a destination internationally recognised as the long‑time host of the iconic SEVEN gravel race.
The 2026 edition marks a historic milestone for the discipline, as it will be the first time the UCI Gravel World Championships are held outside Europe, following editions in Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands over the past four years. This move reflects the global growth of gravel racing worldwide.
Course Distances, Elevation & Terrain
The Nannup courses are a trademark of what gravel should be. Across all distances, riders will face relentless elevation changes, technical gravel sectors and a profile that rewards endurance and physical condition.
- Elite Men & Men Age Groups 19–49 (Sunday, 11 October)
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- 140.7 km
- 3,625 m elevation gain
- Elite Women, Women Age Groups 19–49 & Men 50–64 (Saturday, 10 October)
- 123.1 km
- 3,100 m elevation gain
- Women 50+ & Men 65+ (Saturday, 10 October)
- 89 km
- 2,000 m elevation gain
Course Characteristics
All courses have the same start and finish with the Sunday course adding an additional loop at the back end and the short course taking some shortcuts on the medium course:
- Minimum 80% gravel, across a wide variety of unpaved surfaces
- A 9 km flat paved start section which comes back in the final between 36 and 27km before the finish
- Course elevation ranging between 100 and 300 metres above sea level
- Climbs that are never very long but follow each other quickly, often steep, offering little recovery time
- Passing just a few hundred metres from the finish line, all riders end with a final 27 km loop including two climbs.
Race Days & Start Structure
As in previous editions of the UCI Gravel World Championships:
- All women will race on Saturday, together with men aged 50 and over
- Elite men and men aged 19–49 will compete on Sunday
All races start at 10:00 a.m., with staggered start intervals of three to five minutes, depending on category.
You can discover the courses on https://gravelchampswesternaustralia.com/courses/
Ride the Worlds Course at the SEVEN Gravel Race
Riders will have the opportunity to experience the championship terrain ahead of the Worlds, as the medium course can be tested during the SEVEN event on 16 May, offering an early taste of the gravel roads, elevation and technical challenges that will define the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships.
