Event of the Year
Company: The Gralloch – a Red On Sports event
Supporting Statement:
The Gralloch is Scotland’s gravel festival and a UCI Gravel World Series event, held from 15 to 17 May 2026 in Gatehouse of Fleet, within the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere. Organised by Red On Sports, it brought together 3,000+ riders and a record-breaking 47 nationalities across race, ultra and sportive formats, alongside thousands of spectators.
Riders rate it the top UK gravel festival, with a 2026 Racecheck Gold Award standing at 4.89/5. The experience runs well beyond the start line: a multi-day festival programme, 30+ exhibitors showcasing the best of UK and international gravel, kids’ races for 100+ children, and family rideouts alongside elite riders including Paris-Roubaix champion Alison Jackson.
The Gralloch grows the sport. In 2026, 46% of Sportive riders rode their first gravel event and 37% of Ultra starters took on their first ultra. The event also brought the world’s best to the UK, among them Sir Bradley Wiggins and Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, and continues to set the gold standard with a standalone women’s gravel race across all categories, a new benchmark for equity. Sustainability is built in: the event is delivered to the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere Sustainable Events Charter it co-developed.
Reach matched the racing: 6.6 million views across Facebook and Instagram, plus global distribution of highlights across TV, OTT and digital platforms, putting partners, brands and the host region in front of a worldwide audience.
Operationally, The Gralloch sets the safety standard for gravel. A 10+ person race control centre draws on GPS tracking, live timing and multiple data feeds, with satellite-connected safety vehicles holding comms across remote terrain, the kind of delivery that earns the trust of councils, landowners and emergency services.
Across competition, festival and safety delivery, The Gralloch set a new standard for UK gravel in 2026.
Entry ID: 17466
