The 2025 Unbound Gravel XL brought 359 miles of brutal Kansas terrain, a night of chasing headlights across the prairie, and two course records as Rob Britton and Heather Jackson rode to victory in Emporia. Britton outlasted Lachlan Morton in a fierce overnight duel to win the men’s race in 17 hours, 49 minutes, and 51 seconds — the fastest time ever recorded on the XL course. Jackson, racing solo for most of the night, claimed the women’s title in 20:57:57, also a record time and good enough for eighth place overall.
Britton spent much of the race in pursuit after Morton made an aggressive move just past the 150-mile mark, refusing to stop as Britton paused to refuel. The gap stretched across the night, with only the glow of each other’s lights connecting the two until Britton finally reeled Morton in with under 10 miles to go. “I chased for like 200 kilometers,” Britton said. “And then finally, I caught him. I think his wheels kind of came off.” It was one of the biggest wins of his gravel career.
Morton, last year’s Unbound 200 champion, led most of the race but faded in the final 50 miles, struggling with stomach issues and a lost headlight. Still, he called the experience one of his best on the bike. “It was like hold your hand in the fire and see who is the last to pull it out,” he said of his duel with Britton.
In the women’s race, Heather Jackson took control early and never looked back. After riding alone for two hours past the first aid station, she linked up with a male rider and stayed steady through the night despite a crash, a headlamp failure, and heavy mud. By sunrise, her lead was insurmountable. “There was an hour of chaos and I never wanted sunrise more,” she said. The former Ironman triathlete continues to thrive in gravel, and this victory marks her biggest yet on dirt.
Brief results: Unbound Gravel XL 2025
- Rob Britton (CAN) – 17:49:51
- Lachlan Morton (USA) – 17:55:35
- Robin Gemperle (CHE) – 19:01:01
- Laurens ten Dam (NLD) – 19:17:10
- Cory Wallace (CAN) – 20:20:39
- Nicolas Dehaan (USA) – 20:23:17
- Peter Macgregor (CAN) – 20:48:51
- Heather Jackson (USA) – 20:57:57
- Bob Koplos (USA) – 21:34:12
- Chris Mehlman (USA) – 21:42:26
From dusty evening attacks to sunrise finishes and everything in between, Unbound Gravel XL delivered the drama, grit, and raw emotion we’ve come to expect from gravel’s most demanding race. We were out there every mile, capturing the moments that defined this year’s epic. Scroll on for our full gallery from the XL course start, well into the night.
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