VERDICT A low-cost Iowa series championship with 3,500 feet of Driftless punch packed into 100 kilometers.
A training plan for Toppling Goliath Gravel Grinder—shaped to your fitness and the hours you have.
The Iowa Gravel Series championship: 100 kilometers of Driftless hills, brewery start and finish, and a hard 2:00 PM support horizon.
The organizer added the brewery-hosted race to the Iowa Gravel Series for 2026 after two prior editions from the same venue, making it the season championship while retaining Waukon 100 as a summer Driftless race. Founded in 2024 under the brewery-hosted event lineage. By Iowa Gravel Series and local partners.
Reputation: A developing regional championship built around Decorah's Driftless gravel and a recognizable brewery venue.
The 100-kilometer race uses a group start from Toppling Goliath Brewing Company and accumulates about 3,500 feet across the Driftless hills. The organizer publishes aid windows and a 2:00 PM end to route sweep but not a mile-by-mile current course narrative.
Signature challenge: Maintaining punchy-climb restraint and useful group speed while staying ahead of the noon aid closure and 2:00 PM support horizon.
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October in northeast Iowa can bring a cold start, wind, rain, or a warming afternoon. The risk is variable rather than extreme, so forecast-driven layers matter more than acclimation.[1]
The organizer publishes Friday and race-morning packet pickup, exact starts, a 7:15 AM briefing, two aid windows, a 2:00 PM route-sweep horizon, one brewery venue, and lodging guidance. Final parking and participant instructions remain pending.[3]
The Driftless Area gives the race a distinctive landscape of repeated hills and rural gravel. It is a strong regional setting without the remoteness or scale of a backcountry epic.[1]
Championship status inside the Iowa Gravel Series adds stakes, and the venue has hosted two prior race editions. The event does not yet have a national field or long standalone history.[1]
Race it if you want an organized, competitive fall gravel day with repeated hills, clear logistics, and a community finish. Choose the 50-kilometer route if the 2:00 PM support horizon makes the long course a poor fit.
Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.