The Gravel Earth Series has announced its third edition of 25 tournaments in 15 countries, with eight in North America. A new scoring system will determine the overall winner, and the total prize purse will be increased to €37,500 for three separate rankings: elite men, elite women, and non-binary. [The opening and closing races will return to Spain, with La Santaval on February 15-16 being changed to a two-day stage race, and the finale in Ranchot Gravel tentatively set for September 28, but the date has not yet been determined.

The series includes six races in North America, including Festivus of Gravel and The Range in western Canada, Lost and Found Bike Ride in California, CORE4 in Iowa, Gravel World in Nebraska and the Last Grizzly Gravel in Utah.

Gravel Worlds, which has been in existence for 16 years and trademarked the name in 2021, was eagerly awaiting Thursday's announcement. Gravel Worlds lead promoter Jason Strohbehn told Cycling News, “We've actually been talking to them since the first year. We had never hosted a race series or anything like that in the past, so we were a little hesitant to do anything.”

“Seeing all the great work they have done around the world, it was a perfect fit for us to participate in the Global Earth Series. I know they are trying to bring together a lot of people from all over the world to do something different.”

The Traka, Migration Gravel Race, The Rift, Ranxo Gravel, and Nordic Gravel Series entries are back, bringing back five of the seven races at the launch in 2023. The only race off the North American calendar this year is the Ukiah-Mendo Gravel in northern California, part of the Grasshopper Adventure Series, which will be held on April 27. [Norway's Simen Nordahl Svendsen won the men's title ahead of American Griffin Easter, while Poland's Karolina Migoń tied for second place. She completed a solid campaign ahead of Sarah Sturm and Morgan Aguirre. Mattia de Marchi and Annabelle Fischer were crowned champions in the first year of the series.

Scoring for the Gravel Earth Series is distributed through an “exponential scoring system,” where first-place finishers receive 1,000 points in the base event and are offered a 10% or 20% point boost in more challenging events.

Rankings in the Elite Women's, Elite Men's, and Non-Binary categories will be determined based on the sum of the four highest scores from the completed races on the calendar. The total prize money of €37,500 will be distributed among the top 10 finishers in the three independent categories, with each winner receiving €2,500.

Organizers of the Gravel Earth Series emphasize that the circuit will provide driving options for elite racers as well as amateurs, giving them the opportunity to explore the great outdoor spaces of the world.

“Each event on the circuit will be a unique space for the entire community to gather and connect. The primary criteria for participation in the Circuit are the values of the landscape, with a clear emphasis on respecting the environment and promoting sustainable and responsible gravel. This charter of values has guided the Gravel Earth Series since day one and will continue to be the cornerstone of an adventure-filled 2025,” a statement in the Clarsmark press release reads.

Strohbehn said a major factor in his participation in the series is organizer Clasmark's commitment to preserving “authentic” gravel events and promoting environmental sustainability. It also elevates the gravel world on the international gravel scene.

“A big motivation for us is to showcase the beauty of Nebraska. It's really beautiful here. We are in a very challenging race with over 10,000 feet of climbing in 150 miles. We are here to congratulate the fastest people, but we are definitely here to congratulate those who came in last as well,” added Strobehm.

“We love to donate and support Nebraska nonprofits. So we're going to offset our carbon footprint by pledging $100,000 next year and donating a portion of that to the Arbor Day Foundation.” He noted that National Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska and is a civic holiday in that state.

Gravel World has opened registration for 2025, with Festivus of Gravel, Lost and Found, Rebecca's Private Idaho, and Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder from the North American lineup; CORE4 registration will November 12, and registration for The Last Grizzly will open on November 15.

The Last Grizzly is a new gravel event organized by the same group that organizes the Oregon Trail. Peter Stetina, who finished third overall in last year's Gravel Earth Series, said he thinks the addition of a North American race is good for the growth of the discipline. Their races are focused on gravel bikes. We are excited to include not one, but two premier gravel events in the [2025] Gravel Earth Series,” said Chad Sperry, race director for Breakaway Promotions. [Last year, the Oregon Trail Gravel Stage Races saw a significant increase in registrations and the most layered pro field to date. And this year, we were able to add the Last Grizzly Gravel Stage Race to the 2025 Series. One of the major focuses we share with the Gravel Earth Series is working to reduce our environmental impact while producing a top-level event for all to enjoy.”

Michigan's Barry Rube, which will be held on April 12, was expected to be the first participant in the Gravel Earth Series, but organizers said they did not have time to coordinate their participation plans.

“We will not be participating in the GES next season. We were invited a few weeks ago, but registration opened this Saturday and sold out quickly,” race co-director Matt Acker told Cycling News. We also wanted to avoid issues like people wanting to participate but not being able to register in time. Perhaps next year”