The official 85-mile route combines approximately 7,250 feet of climbing with country roads, Wilson Creek Gorge, Grandfather Ranger District gravel, Maple Sally Road, and long mountain descents.[5]
Course Profile
Editorial verdict
Wilson Creek Gorge will eat your lunch and serve it back with a side of North Carolina suffering.[7]
Pisgah Productions operates Bootlegger as a timed road/gravel event and as part of the King and Queen of Pisgah points series. The official results archive reaches back to 2017. Founded in At least 2017 under the current results archive. By Pisgah Productions.
Reputation: A long-running Western North Carolina mountain-gravel race known for Wilson Creek Gorge, Maple Sally Road, sustained climbing, and difficult descents.
2023: the long course was still roughly 107 miles and 10,600 feet in a rider report
2026: the organizer recorded separate 85-mile and 58-mile results
2027: the 85-mile and 58-mile edition opened registration for April 17
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The Course
The official 85-mile route combines approximately 7,250 feet of climbing with country roads, Wilson Creek Gorge, Grandfather Ranger District gravel, Maple Sally Road, and long mountain descents.
Signature challenge: Approximately 7,250 feet of climbing across 85 miles, with Maple Sally Road and technical descents late enough to punish poor pacing.
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Training
April 17, 2027 THE BOOTLEGGER
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Train for The Bootlegger
RACE DEMAND PROFILE
Durability
4
Climbing
7
VO2 Power
6
Threshold
8
Technical
8
Heat
0
Altitude
2
Race Specificity
9
3 WORKOUTS BUILT FOR THIS RACE
Each workout below is selected from our archetype library based on The Bootlegger’s specific demands. Click any workout to see the full execution protocol.
Gravel SpecificSurge and Settle
1hr+
Explosive surges into tempo settling — the signature gravel-specific workout.
The Bootlegger moves between paved country roads and mountain gravel through Wilson Creek Gorge and the Grandfather Ranger District. Practice controlled power changes without turning every surface transition into a surge.
EXECUTIONOut of the saddle for every surge — explosive, violent power. Then immediately drop to tempo and SETTLE. Smooth your breathing. Recover while still working. This is what gravel racing IS: attack the rock garden, settle on the straight, attack the climb, settle on the descent. Over and over.
POSITIONStanding for surges | Seated in drops for settle
RPESurges: 9–10 | Settle: 5–6
RACE-SPECIFIC: THE BOOTLEGGER
NUTRITION Use training to prove a tolerable hourly carbohydrate target, then pair it with fluid and sodium choices matched to the final forecast. Start intake early and rehearse eating immediately after rough descents, when attention often returns to the pedals before it returns to fueling.
TERRAIN Practice sustained mountain-gravel climbing and long open-road descents on the race bike. Test braking, sight-line discipline, tires, pressure, sealant, plugs, a tube, and navigation before race week; final 2027 rider communications and route files remain authoritative.
Race SimulationVariable Pace Chaos
1.25hr+
Unpredictable power changes — no pattern, no rhythm, pure gravel race simulation.
Use long race simulations to join climbing restraint, open-road descending, fueling, navigation, and repair decisions under fatigue before April 17.
EXECUTIONThere is no pattern. That’s the point. Power jumps randomly between zones — like a gravel race where terrain, wind, and competitors dictate your effort. Don’t anticipate. React. Recover when you can. Suffer when you must. This workout teaches metabolic flexibility.
POWERRange: 85–130% FTP | No two minutes at the same power
CADENCEVariable — match the effort. 80rpm on tempo, 100rpm on VO2, 120rpm on sprints.
POSITIONChange constantly. That’s the chaos.
RPEVaries wildly: 4–10 within a single block
RACE-SPECIFIC: THE BOOTLEGGER
NUTRITION Use training to prove a tolerable hourly carbohydrate target, then pair it with fluid and sodium choices matched to the final forecast. Start intake early and rehearse eating immediately after rough descents, when attention often returns to the pedals before it returns to fueling.
TERRAIN Practice sustained mountain-gravel climbing and long open-road descents on the race bike. Test braking, sight-line discipline, tires, pressure, sealant, plugs, a tube, and navigation before race week; final 2027 rider communications and route files remain authoritative.
The 85-mile course accumulates approximately 7,250 feet of climbing. Sustained threshold work raises climbing capacity, while race simulations teach you to stay below that ceiling early.
EXECUTIONStart easy, finish hard. The ramp teaches you where your threshold REALLY is — the point where controlled becomes desperate. The second ramp pushes one step further. If you survive the 104% block, your FTP might be higher than you think.
NUTRITION Use training to prove a tolerable hourly carbohydrate target, then pair it with fluid and sodium choices matched to the final forecast. Start intake early and rehearse eating immediately after rough descents, when attention often returns to the pedals before it returns to fueling.
TERRAIN Practice sustained mountain-gravel climbing and long open-road descents on the race bike. Test braking, sight-line discipline, tires, pressure, sealant, plugs, a tube, and navigation before race week; final 2027 rider communications and route files remain authoritative.
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A 2023 cycling race report describes a rainy, chilly start followed by warmer conditions, and notes that overnight rain made descents slick. Mid-April weather in the North Carolina foothills can materially change traction and clothing needs without creating a dependable extreme-heat or cold protocol.[5]
How are the logistics for The Bootlegger?
+
"the course was clearly marked with orange course making tape and big orange signs with arrows" and praises well-stocked aid stations plus post-race burritos. Lenoir offers municipal parking lots where "Car/Van/RV camping" is allowed, with packet pickup Friday evening and Saturday morning. RFID timing and police-escorted neutral rollout show solid operational foundation.[2]
How adventurous is The Bootlegger?
+
Wilson Creek Gorge, the Grandfather Ranger District, and Maple Sally Road take the race well beyond a generic downtown fondo. The no-outside-support rule makes riders carry their own contingencies through long mountain sectors, while stocked organizer rest areas keep it short of expedition racing.[5]
How prestigious is The Bootlegger?
+
Pisgah Productions has built regional credibility through the King of Pisgah Series, with riders like Nina Laughlin (elite-level racer) taking overall wins. The race attracts competitors from "many scattered states", though it lacks the national profile or prize purse that draws top-tier professional fields to marquee events.[1]
Should I race The Bootlegger?
+
Bring climbing durability, disciplined fueling, dependable brakes, and real gravel-descending confidence. The official long course is now 85 miles rather than 100-plus, but 7,250 feet and Maple Sally Road still expose anyone who treats the first half like a short race.
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Sources & Citations
Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.