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Icelandic horses grazing a wet pasture below Hekla, its summit streaked with snow
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The Rift gravel race courses, feed stations and cutoffs

Four gravel courses out of Hvolsvöllur into the South Iceland highlands, from a 60 km out and back to a 330 km ride through the night.

July 23 to 24, 2027 Hvolsvöllur, South Iceland

The Rift is a gravel race run by Lauf Cycles out of Hvolsvöllur, a small town on the Ring Road in South Iceland. It's been going since 2019. All four courses start and finish in town and climb into the highlands on volcanic gravel, sand and lava, with river crossings you'll ride or wade. The Rift, the 200 km flagship, climbs the lower slopes of Hekla, an active volcano.

The organizer lists each feed station by its kilometer but not by name or place, and the route downloads on the race's practical page weren't live when we checked. The lines on the map are the organizer's 2026 files, which riders have shared on Ride with GPS; the 2027 courses may differ. The feeds are in each course's description.

Cell reception in the highlands is sparse, the organizer says, and the roads out there have no names. Download the map before you go and swap in the organizer's 2027 route once it's posted: your phone's GPS shows where you are without a signal.

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

The Rift 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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Save it in Goat Maps for a recce or race day. GPS shows where you are even without a signal.

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The Rift courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
The Abyss330 km (205.1 mi)4,600 m (15,092 ft)26 h
The Rift200 km (124.3 mi)2,600 m (8,530 ft)14 h
The Crevasse140 km (87 mi)1,700 m (5,577 ft)10 h
The Crack60 km (37.3 mi)520 m (1,706 ft)6 h

The Rift The Abyss

A 330 km ride through the night into the interior, unmarked off the main course and unsupported until 230 km.

Distance
330 km (205.1 mi)
Climbing
4,600 m (15,092 ft)
Time limit
26 h

Take this course offline

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

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New in 2026, the Abyss starts on Friday evening, the night before the other courses, and heads deep into the interior on volcanic desert, highland passes and braided river plains where the road disappears for miles. There are more river crossings than you'll want to count. Some are spring-fed and good for filling bottles, others are cold, muddy glacial water. Away from the main Rift course nothing is marked, so you navigate by GPS.

There are no feed stations for the Abyss until it joins the Rift course at 230 km (cutoff 18 hours). After that you get feeds at 268 km (22 hours) and 298 km, and you have 26 hours in all. You may pass the 200 km riders' feeds earlier, but they aren't guaranteed to be open or stocked when you get there. The organizer lists two bailout routes, one to Vík and one back to Hvolsvöllur. You apply to enter, and the organizer wants riders with experience for its 70 places. Aero bars are allowed on this course and no other.

A four-wheel drive stopped in a wide, shallow river on a highland track, under gray cloud
Andrea Zanenga / Unsplash

The Rift The Rift

The 200 km flagship: Dómadalur, the slopes of Hekla, and a long descent back to town.

Distance
200 km (124.3 mi)
Climbing
2,600 m (8,530 ft)
Time limit
14 h

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

The Rift is 92% backcountry gravel. From Hvolsvöllur it climbs steadily into the interior over volcanic plains, chunky lava, sand and washboard, with river crossings that often mean getting off the bike. After the washboard of Dómadalur comes the big climb up the lower slopes of Hekla. Past the high point the course rolls across a plateau, then drops fast and long back to town.

Feeds are at 30, 58, 98, 136 and 166 km, with cutoffs of 4 hours at 58 km, 7 hours at 98 km and 10.5 hours at 136 km, and 14 hours to finish. The first and last feeds have water and Neversecond nutrition only, and your drop bag waits at the third.

Tire tracks in black gravel on a highland road, curving toward a moss-green hill
Alexander Sinn / Unsplash

The Rift The Crevasse

A 140 km loop into the black-sand highlands and back south to Hvolsvöllur.

Distance
140 km (87 mi)
Climbing
1,700 m (5,577 ft)
Time limit
10 h

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

The Crevasse climbs steadily from Hvolsvöllur into the black-sand highlands, through lava fields and past glacial country, then loops south to the finish. Expect firm, fast gravel and loose sand, with several river crossings and rolling ground once the early climbing is done.

Feeds are at 30, 58, 77 and 107 km. The cutoffs are 4 hours at 58 km and 5.5 hours at 77 km, and you have 10 hours to finish.

The Rift The Crack

A 60 km out and back on the opening climb of the main course.

Distance
60 km (37.3 mi)
Climbing
520 m (1,706 ft)
Time limit
6 h

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

The Crack rides the main course's opening climb and first river crossing, through the first lava fields, then turns at the 30 km feed and comes back the same way. The limit is 6 hours.

Registration

Registration for 2027 is open on Movemint: $320 for the Rift or the Abyss, $290 for the Crevasse and $190 for the Crack. For the Abyss you apply first, and the organizer looks for experience.

You can get a refund only within 24 hours of buying. After that you can defer to the next year until March 1, 2027, through your Movemint account, where you can also change the name on an entry.

Race packs are handed out at Lauf Cycles HQ on July 21 and 22, from noon to 4 pm, and at the race base in Hvolsvöllur on the Friday and on Saturday morning.

Getting to Hvolsvöllur

Houses and trees along a river in Hella, with a snow-covered mountain behind
David Bayliss / Unsplash

Hvolsvöllur is about 106 km east of Reykjavík on the Ring Road. The race runs no transfers from Reykjavík or Keflavík Airport, so most riders rent a car, though a local bus runs from Reykjavík.

Rooms sell out early. Hella, 10 to 15 minutes' drive away, has more, and Selfoss works if you have a car. There's no bike shop in Hvolsvöllur and the shops aren't open when most riders head out on race morning, so buy what you need in advance. The tap water is good.

Rules and support on course

There's no outside support, though riders may help each other. The start is rolling behind a lead-out car, and the roads stay open to traffic. Cutoffs are set for an average of 9 mph (about 14.5 km/h) and are strictly enforced.

Feeds have drinks, gels and food, but bring the nutrition you're used to and what you need to fix a flat or a mechanical. You must wear or carry every piece of clothing you plan to use: you can't leave clothes at the feeds. For the drop bag at feed 3, leave it at the marked van in the expo area between 5:30 and 7:30 on Saturday morning. E-bikes aren't allowed.

Weather, river crossings and kit

A four-wheel drive stopped in a wide, shallow river on a highland track, under gray cloud
Andrea Zanenga / Unsplash

July averages a high of about 14°C (57°F), the organizer says, with easterly winds and light rain. In the highlands it can go from sun to snow in minutes, so pack for everything and decide the day before. The nearest forecast station is Hella. It hardly gets dark, though the Abyss still has 2 to 4 hours between dusk and dawn, and the organizer recommends lights for it.

At a crossing the water can be half a 700c wheel deep and 5 to 10 m wide, over anything from pea gravel to rocks the size of a baby's head. Walk it if you're unsure. The water is around 5°C, so wool socks, and a spare pair, help. The organizer recommends tires of 50 mm or more, and a gravel bike is fastest, though a hardtail works. For the Abyss there's no formal kit list, but they suggest a waterproof jacket, warm layers, a charged GPS with the route loaded, a charged phone, food, water, tools and spares.

The Rift 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.

  • Hvolsvöllur (start and finish)

    63.75081, -20.22384

  • Hekla

    1,491 m (4,892 ft)

    63.99270, -19.66582

The Rift FAQ

When is The Rift 2027?

July 23 and 24, 2027, in Hvolsvöllur. The Abyss starts at 7 pm on the Friday, the course page says, and the other courses on Saturday morning. Their 2027 start times weren't out when this page was checked. In 2026 the 200 km went at 7:00 and the 140 km and 60 km at 8:30.

Is there support on the Abyss?

Very little. Its first feed station is at 230 km, where it joins the Rift course, and outside the main course it isn't marked. The 200 km feeds you may pass earlier aren't guaranteed to be open. The organizer lists bailout routes to Vík and to Hvolsvöllur.

How deep are the river crossings at The Rift?

The organizer says half a 700c wheel deep and 5 to 10 m wide isn't unusual. The current isn't strong, but the bed varies, and the water is around 5°C. Walk across if you're not sure.

What tires should I run at The Rift?

At least 50 mm, the organizer recommends: the roads are rocky. A gravel bike is fastest, but hardtails and short-travel mountain bikes are fine, and a few steep hills may need walking.

Is there cell service on The Rift course?

It's sparse in the highlands, but the organizer insists you carry your phone and keep it on. Hekla is an active volcano, and in an eruption the authorities warn every phone in the area first. Download the area's map in Goat Maps before you go, and load the organizer's route into it when it's published. GPS still shows where you are without a signal.

Can you leave a drop bag at The Rift?

Yes, at feed station 3. Drop it at the marked van in the expo area between 5:30 and 7:30 on Saturday morning and pick it up after you finish. You can't leave clothes at the feeds.

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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.