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Sunset over a wooded Ozark valley from a rocky ledge, with autumn leaves in front
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Highlands Gravel Classic 2027

A UCI Gravel World Series qualifier on Ozark gravel east of Fayetteville, with the course you ride set by your age and gender.

April 24, 2027 Goshen and Fayetteville, Arkansas

The Highlands Gravel Classic is a one day gravel race out of Goshen, 7 miles from Fayetteville, and a qualifier in the UCI Gravel World Series. It has two courses, and your age and gender pick yours: the 68 mile Highlands course for men 19 to 59, women 19 to 49 and every Elite, and the 54 mile Farmlands course for men 60 and over and women 50 and over. Both start and finish at the Goshen Community Center and head east into Madison County on roads the organizer puts at 85% gravel.

The map shows the 2026 courses, which the organizer says were the same as 2025's. The 2027 routes weren't out when this page was checked. In 2026 the organizer gave entrants Ride with GPS premium for race day so they could navigate without cell service, and a course map downloaded to Goat Maps does the same for anyone following along.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Highlands Gravel Classic. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Highlands course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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Highlands courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
Highlands68 mi (109 km)5,603 ft (1,708 m)Sat, Apr 24, 8:00 AM
Farmlands54 mi (87 km)4,341 ft (1,323 m)Sat, Apr 24, 8:45 AM

Highlands Highlands

The 68 mile course for Elites, men 19 to 59 and women 19 to 49, with three feed zones.

Distance
68 mi (109 km)
Climbing
5,603 ft (1,708 m)
Start
Sat, Apr 24, 8:00 AM

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Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

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The 2026 route leaves Goshen on Tuttle, Ball and Hale roads, then spends most of the day on numbered Madison County roads. It reaches farther south than the Farmlands course, and that southern loop holds its high point, about 2,200 feet, near mile 34. The organizer's file gives 5,603 feet of climbing.

Feed zones are at miles 19.9, 40.8 and 56.5, so the longest gap is the 21 miles to the second one. The men's Elite wave goes at 8:00 a.m., age group men 19 to 44 at 8:02 and men 45 to 59 at 8:04. The Elite women start at 8:10 a.m. and the age group women at 8:15. Riders under 19 start with the 8:02 and 8:15 waves.

A paved country road under bright green spring trees in Arkansas
Jessica Garner / Unsplash

Highlands Farmlands

The 54 mile course for men 60 and over and women 50 and over, with two feed zones.

Distance
54 mi (87 km)
Climbing
4,341 ft (1,323 m)
Start
Sat, Apr 24, 8:45 AM

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Farmlands follows the Highlands route for the first 24 miles or so, through the first feed zone at mile 19.9. Then it cuts north of the long southern loop and joins the Highlands roads again for the run home, with the second feed zone at mile 42.6. The organizer's 2026 file gives 4,341 feet of climbing.

The men start at 8:45 a.m. and the women at 8:50, after the Highlands waves have gone.

A dirt road beside a grassy field and trees in rural Arkansas, with hills on the horizon
Ashley Ross / Unsplash

Registration and fees

Registration for 2027 opens on RunSignup on October 31, 2026 at 8 a.m. CDT. Highlands entries start at $95, Farmlands at $85 and Elite at $100. Prices rise after December 30, March 3 and March 31, and from April 1 they're $125, $115 and $135. Online entry closes at 7 a.m. on race morning.

The Elite category is for riders who hold, or must buy, a UCI license. Nobody else needs a license, USA Cycling's included. There are no refunds, but if you contact the race director before the race you can roll your entry to the next year or to another All Sports Productions event that year.

Getting to Goshen

A pale building behind trees and flower beds in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Steve Sullivant / Unsplash

Goshen is 7 miles from Fayetteville, which sits on Interstate 49. The organizer lists Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) 24 miles from Fayetteville, Fort Smith 65 miles away and Tulsa 115. For lodging, the race points to Experience Fayetteville.

Packet pickup is at the Goshen Community Center from 3 to 7 p.m. the day before and from 6 to 8 a.m. on race morning, and you have to collect your own. Parking is on site, signposted, and opens at 5:45 a.m. The mandatory rider meeting is at 7:45.

Feed zones and outside help

Each feed zone has water, electrolytes and sweet and salty snacks, with a few bottle handups. Friends and family can hand you food or fix your bike in the feed zones and nowhere else. Help anywhere else on course, other than from the race's neutral support, gets you disqualified, and personal vehicles can't follow riders.

Aerobars are allowed. So is any bike except a tandem, a recumbent or a time trial bike. Your entry includes the meal after the race, and extra tickets are $10, or $30 for a family of three or more.

April weather

Sunset over a wooded Ozark valley from a rocky ledge, with autumn leaves in front
Derek Livingston / Unsplash

April at Fayetteville's Drake Field averages highs near 70°F and lows around 45°F, with about 5 inches of rain over 10 days in the month (1991 to 2020 normals). The organizer races "rain, snow, sleet or shine" and asks you to shelter somewhere safe if a storm hits while you're out.

Highlands aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Goshen Community Center (start and finish)

    1,257 ft (383 m)

    36.09915, -93.98376

  • Feed Zone 1

    1,549 ft (472 m)

    36.04253, -93.75843

  • Feed Zone 2 (Highlands only)

    1,857 ft (566 m)

    35.93383, -93.80148

  • Feed Zone 3

    1,759 ft (536 m)

    36.05634, -93.85180

Highlands FAQ

When is the Highlands Gravel Classic 2027?

Saturday, April 24, 2027. The first wave starts at 8 a.m. in Goshen. The 2026 race was on April 25.

Which course do I ride at the Highlands Gravel Classic?

It depends on your age and gender, so everyone in an age group races the same distance. Men 19 to 59, women 19 to 49 and all Elites ride the 68 mile Highlands course. Men 60 and over and women 50 and over ride the 54 mile Farmlands course. Riders under 19 ride Highlands too. Your age group is your age on December 31 of the race year.

How do you qualify for UCI Gravel Worlds at the Highlands Gravel Classic?

Finish in the top 25% of the starters in your age group, rounded up, or in its first three. You have to finish to qualify. The 14 to 18 group does not qualify, and Elite riders can only qualify for the Elite race.

How long is the Highlands Gravel Classic?

Highlands is 68 miles and Farmlands 54. The organizer's 2026 route files give about 5,600 and 4,300 feet of climbing.

Do I need a license for the Highlands Gravel Classic?

Only for the Elite category, which needs a UCI license. Age group riders need no license, USA Cycling or otherwise.

How many riders race the Highlands Gravel Classic?

More than 300 started in 2026, from eight countries and 38 states.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.