What is Gravel Running?

If you've already heard of Gravel Running, you might be wondering what it is? And if you've never heard of it, you might be curious to learn a little more about this new emerging practice. Is it a discipline or rather a new variation among the many existing practices related to running, such as running or road running, trail running, or even cross-country or athletics? To describe Gravel Running, we must first mention Gravel cycling, the new trendy cycling practice between road cycling and mountain biking, mainly on unpaved paths. It is this practice that inspired the emergence of Gravel Running. We offer you a brief detour first through the world of cycling before telling you more about Gravel Running.

Gravel Cycling or the ultimate nature adventure bike

The sport of cycling has evolved a lot over time to multiply and specialize between disciplines such as road cycling, MTB/Mountain Bike, not to mention cyclo-cross, BMX, or even track cycling... The two most popular sports, road cycling and MTB/Mountain Bike, have evolved with increasingly marked cultures. Road cycling has always been marked by a culture of performance, inspired of course by the legendary exploits of the pros on the grand tours like the Tour de France. The measurement of power, the famous watts, has become, for example, increasingly central in the practice of road cycling, a demanding discipline where the levels of speed and endurance reached by the best riders leave most amateurs speechless. On the MTB or Mountain Bike side, it is rather the level of risk that seems to have no limit for the most passionate with increasingly impressive events in terms of speed, elevation, jump lengths, in short, risk-taking.

Between these two disciplines, a space has been created for lovers of adventure, nature and conviviality who are not necessarily looking for performance or speed at all costs, nor the adrenaline rush of extremely risky descents or jumps. Gravel is a bit like going on an adventure on unpaved roads, gravel paths (hence the name Gravel or gravel in English) that the cyclist does not have to share with car traffic or at least much less. This less anxiety-inducing aspect has also reinforced the appeal of Gravel cycling for a safer practice, closer to nature, healthier (further from exhaust pipes). Gravel is also imbued with a spirit of freedom and adventure different from the search for performance and speed or the search for risk and extreme sensations. Gravel also involves outings that can last a few hours, a day or even several days to combine the sport of cycling and the bivouac spirit of roaming.

Gravel Running between Running and Trail Running

If a parallel can be drawn between cycling and running, Gravel running is a discipline or a variation of running practice between road running and trail running. Road running, mainly practiced on asphalt, is a discipline like road cycling where the notion of speed predominates, with reference distances such as the 10k, half-marathon or marathon. And as with road cycling, the levels of speed and endurance achieved by the best runners leave us speechless, whether in 10k, half or marathon. Trail running is not exactly the equivalent of mountain biking or mountain biking, even if the steepest paths and the most dizzying ridge lines sometimes taken by trail runners sometimes leave us speechless as these courses seem risky with precipices on either side of the narrow ridge line path. The speeds and the possibilities of making jumps are not entirely comparable, but the search for adrenaline is a common point for the most risky trail running practices.

Where space may exist for Gravel running as a new practice between road running and trail running (at least in its most mountainous and extreme form), it is in the search for adventure off paved roads, without having to prioritize the most technical or mountainous, steepest passages or terrain. It is also potentially a running practice where mileage (distance), pace (speed), timing (time), difficulty (D+) do not really matter as in the spirit of Gravel cycling.

If Gravel running is similar to Gravel cycling, imagine going for a run on a dirt or gravel path without starting your stopwatch. You're just going for a run away from paved roads and cars, as close to nature as possible, for the physical effort without the ultimate pursuit of performance, speed, or elevation. And just for the pleasure of being in a group if you go for a run with others. It's not exactly hiking, because Gravel running involves running (most of the time) and not walking, but where it comes close to hiking is in the spirit of adventure and discovery, proximity to nature, sharing with other runners, and above all, in the feeling of freedom to run without any constraints. During a Gravel running session, go running freely on dirt or gravel paths, without thinking about the time or performance and without looking for the most technical, the most difficult passages, just following the country paths or small gravel roads and wherever they take you.