Monster Cross 11, The O.G. Virginia Gravel Race.

*Thanks to Laura Carson for all the photos. @lauracarsonimages

Would it even be February without the return of Monster Cross?  Much like Groundhog Day, this has become a serious mid-winter staple.

While some of you that have been participating since it started over 10 years ago may feel like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, rest assured, you are NOT going crazy. 

For those of you new to gravel riding or racing, here’s a quick recap. Over a decade ago when, much like the dinosaurs, cyclocross bikes ruled the earth, there was a gathering of a few hundred like minded individuals at Pocahontas State Park that felt like racing (or just riding) their bike for 50 miles on the double track and service roads was a great idea.  Since then the “gravel scene” has exploded nationwide and Monster Cross has grown as well.  

From committed bike racers to casual riders, weekend warriors and even unicyclists, you will see just about every type of rider on the trails with a grin or a grimace in hot pursuit of glory or just a good time.

The course consists of two (or one) 25 mile laps that wind through just about the entirety of the park while somehow skipping the dedicated hiking and mountain bike trails. This mixed-surface adventure makes for a challenging and just-technical-enough route that you never really know if a true gravel bike or a light mountain bike is going to carry the ultimate winner in each category to glory.

If you have never done this race, you should. The course is awesome and the atmosphere is great. Grab your all-terrain-bike.  Be it mountain bike, cross bike, an actual gravel bike (or even a unicycle) pump up those tires and let’s go.

Monster Cross 11 is February 19th 2023, registration is at the link below. 

Monster Cross 11 Registration.

*Thanks to Laura Carson for all the photos. @lauracarsonimages