La Crescent and Houston, MN, in Southeast Minnesota and the La Crosse, Wisconsin region will proudly host the 2025 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships the third weekend of September in both 2025 and 2026. This national caliber cycling event is being hosted by the cities of La Crescent and Houston, Minnesota, Explore La Crosse, the La Crescent Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, the Houston Chamber of Commerce, USA Cycling, Driftless Cycling, Old Fashioned Gravel, and La Crescent Applefest.
The event will feature both Amateur and Elite racers, aiming to attract over 800 cyclists and enthusiasts of all skill levels, while providing a competitive opportunity for all participants. Athletes will compete for gold amongst the picturesque beauty and challenging terrain of Southeast Minnesota providing an unparalleled racing experience through river valleys and blufftops. The race will occur on Saturday, September 20th. The races will occur over four distances ranging from 25 miles to 116 miles depending on the age group and rider caliber. The event will start on Thursday, September 18th with the Applefest Torchlight Parade where cyclists will be invited to ride in the parade and enjoy a La Crescent Live music event. There will be an athlete Expo on Friday on Main Street with more opportunities for attendees to enjoy Applefest activities. We are planning pre-event activities in Houston, MN all summer and on the weekend of the event. On race day, there will be opportunities for attendees to attend Applefest events after they finish their race event where the awards presentations will be held. On Sunday, we will hold the annual Applefest parade with participants and winners participating in the parade.