7th annual June 8th 2024
Ionia Michigan
Sign up to race and camp for free!
The 7th Annual Cow Pie Classic is more than a bike race, but it is one heck of a race! The Gravel Bike Elite and Gravel Bike Sport categories were a great way to help bring everybody together at the end and we will have both categories again in 2025. We also give awards+cash prizes for Single Speed, fatbike, mountain bike, tandem, athena and clydesdale riders. We hope this helps the cow pie classic continue to be a race for everybody. We are excited to announce that the afterparty will be next to the finish line again in 2025. This means your taco bar add on and your free cow pie brew will be next to the awards stage so you can re-fuel after your ride and celebrate with your fellow riders while cheering others across the finish line. #RIDECOWPIE will leave you with a smile ear to ear whether you want to come out and push your limits with Michigan gravel race series riders or join family and friends to pose for that perfect farmland pic from Rob Meendering. We can’t wait to see you in June!
several giveaways including velocity wheelset!
Cash prizes and medals
all awards will be held at main tent by the finish line
CHIP TIMED kom pRIZES ON COURSE:
riders in Darin elliot short haul and the panaracer long haul will compete against each other for the welch wall kom. fastest man and women to the top of welch wall from the start line will win $400! only one prize between the short haul and long haul https://www.strava.com/segments/31265889
there will be a new 600 meter segment coming out of the powell farm called “shake rattle and roll” with a $300 cash prize for the fastest man and women of the day. https://strava.app.link/fkbtz72bxEb
your first drink is included with registration! we hope you join us to celebrate our: calf race, Elite overall, elite age category, sport overall, sport age category, Mountain bike overall, fat bike overall, Single speed overall, tandem overall, Clydesdale and athena
cash prizes for elite Gravel bike class
long Haul men and women: $1000 for 1st; $500 for 2nd; $200 for 3rd
short haul men and women: $500 for 1st; $200 for 2nd; $100 for 3rd
rec ride men and women: $100 for first
TOP 5 OVERALL AND TOP 5 IN AGE CATEGORIES WILL GET A MEDAL IN THE LONG HAUL AND SHORT HAUL elite GRAVEL BIKE CATEGORY
TOP 5 OVERALL AND TOP 5 IN AGE CATEGORIES WILL GET A MEDAL IN THE RECREATIONAL RIDE
top 10 will be awarded in the sport category
TOP 3 OVERALL FOR TANDEMS, FAT BIKES, SINGLE SPEEDS and mountain bikes.
CALF RACE WILL AWARD all participants with a place medal.
COURSE SAFETY:
we put at least 50 volunteers on course!
10 policed intersections.
three IVY REHAB AID STATIONS ON COURSE.
THIS IS AN OPEN COURSE PLEASE GIVE VEHICLES THEIR SPACE AND STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF THE ROAD
FREE TENT CAMPING AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.
all photos from rob meenderings expert lense
Huge thanks to brad from clear2aviate for doing a flyover FOR OUR national anthem!
THE SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL SECTION COMING OUT OF THE WOODS WILL BE A CHIP TIMED SEGMENT THIS YEAR WITH KOM PRIZES.
Cow pie classic is your race, ride it like your best friends watching
cow pie classic is proud to make the next generation feel at home
hUGE THANKS TO AMANDA AND DOUG POWELL FOR OPENING UP THEIR FARM TO US AND HAVING FUN WITH #RIDECOWPIE
Offerings
free 13 and under calf race
A fun, safe, and free 2 mile race and .5 mile stryder ride (you must register ahead of time) This is a Family fun ride and we hope to see you riding together along with kids. we are excited to have horizon daycare on board to run this event, bringing with them plenty of course volunteers to keep kids safe on the course!
10 mile grind
The 10 Mile Grind is a great way to get your feet wet in gravel racing and see if its your cup of tea! our 10 mile race is the most affordable way to join in the fun of cow pie classic!
Rec Ride
The rec ride is 20 miles with 6 miles of pavement, 12 miles of gravel, 2 miles of farm. this route is a great first race for anyone with enough challenge to let you know you’ve accomplished a feat; keeping the cycling vets happy to be out there too! The 20 mile is part of the mini course series in the michigan gravel race series.
Short Haul
presented by Darin Elliot Greenridge Realty
The 34 mile race is 80% gravel, 10% pavement, and 10% farm! After leaving the farm you will be 9 miles from the finish but wait, there’s another farm! No “Bull” in 2022 we replaced 2 miles of fast pavement with farmland 2 track and fred meijer trail. That includes a 600 meter section thats chunky enough you may want to rethink tire choice. the short haul boast multiple dead end roads, 2 seperate farm sections, limestone rail trail, a 800 meter 2 track section that will give you single track smiles, and plenty of fast gravel roads!
Long Haul
the 63 mile Long Haul is the most diverse race at cow pie! The Long Haul will share the short haul route until 3 miles past Woodard lake where you make a break north and go past a cool long haul only farm. miles 20-50 will be secluded gravel roads and Jessup road! around 50 miles in the route re-joins the short haul course by turning south on Powell, Then the farm! 9 miles to go to the finish including another farm! the long haul comes at you with multiple dead end roads, jessup kom, 2 seperate farm sections, limestone rail trail, a 800 meter 2 track section that will give you single track smiles, and plenty of fast gravel roads!
cow pie ex
IS A 226 or 120 mile EX FORMAT BIKE ADVENTURE. Mountain Bike Mitch, the original bad idea specialist TAKEs YOU THROUGH 30 miles of SINGLE TRACK TRAILS CONNECTED BY GRAVEL AND SEASONAL ROADS with around 15% PAVEMENT. More information available on our ex event at the top menu tabs.
