Red Granite Grinder 2025

To boost the amount of gravel on the course, race director, Shane Hitz, immediately went to work following last year’s event to make significant changes for the Saturday, October 11, 2025 event.  First, Hitz secured a race location in a rural community park with nearby gravel roads.  Next, Hitz overhauled the routes, with two of the three courses entirely new routes.  Hitz is already seeing the countless hours of planning paying off.  “I am super excited to create some new routes in an entirely new area, but still start in the red granite of Marathon County,” said Hitz who has ridden 1000 miles on his bike in a single season dialing in courses.  “One of the unique aspects of this area is the high percentage of gravel for each route and the chance to send the mid and long distance riders deep into the Northwoods.”

They offered up locations for pre-race festivities, coordinated with local services to arrange a police escort, and recommended areas with lines of sight for busier road crossings.  “The whole Athens community is thrilled to be hosting the Red Granite Grinder,” said Steve Brewster, president of the Athens Area Trails Association. “It has been a pleasure aiding IRONBULL in its coordination efforts to make this move to northwestern Marathon County a real racing success.”

After growing to its largest year in 2024, the timing was right to overhaul the Red Granite Grinder. Race organizers re-evaluate the event after surveying racers each year to improve the event. “A key driver for the changes were to enhance rider safety and overall experience,” said Andrea Larson, who has assisted Hitz in the event since the event’s inception in 2019.  “By increasing the amount of gravel on the course, riders are often on less traveled roadways, thereby reducing the number of interactions with vehicles, which are typically traveling at slower speeds.” Race organizers recognized that moving the location would eliminate 10 miles of pavement at both the start and finish of each race. 

In addition to boosting safety, Central Wisconsin’s gravel roads offer a superior riding surface.   Unlike limestone which is used in much of the rest of the United States, red granite’s structure interlocks and compacts as a non-plastic aggregate.  These properties make red granite a gravel rider’s dream or red gold, as coined by Kelly O’Day to describe it as the gold standard of riding surfaces. O’Day is an avid gravel cyclist who has gone on to finish the Red Granite Grinder every year. 

“The Red Granite Grinder has resonated with me from the very start. It has some super challenging climbs, a ton of beautiful backcountry rollers, and race director Shane Hitz always seems to add some interesting tweaks each year.”

Kelly O’Day

The Red Granite Grinder offers 50, 100, and 150 mile routes highlighting rural Wisconsin passing dairy farms, pristine rivers & creeks, and under beautiful canopies of hardwoods during peak fall colors. Hitz designed the 50 mile route to be a fast-rolling traditional gravel route on rural roads until the final mile under the canopy of Erbach Park.  The 100 mile route offers a taste of adventure on more remote roads and a doubletrack trail with a water crossing at Averill Creek, the only hike-a-bike on the route.  For those looking for the ultimate challenge, the 150 mile route incorporates a variety of riding surfaces including course granite on the Pine Line rail-to-trail plus dirt on the doubletrack trail at the Averill Creek crossing.

The event is more than races with anybody welcome to attend the free group ride, beer release, and live music the day before the race at The Milk Haus, an educational dairy farm.  Additionally, to be more inclusive, the event offers a free women’s skills clinic and free youth ride.  The new location enables the Kocourek Kids ride to take place on Erbach Park’s trails without any road crossings.  “Erbach Park is such an underappreciated gem in Marathon County,” said Hitz.  And with the help of the Athens community, Hitz intends to change that.

Red Granite Grinder Event Details:

Saturday, October 11, 2025 in Athens, WI with free group ride, beer release, live music, and women’s skills clinic the day before. More info. Registration.

IRONBULL is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that creates outdoor adventures for all ages and abilities by producing silent sport races and challenges. IRONBULL fosters healthy lifestyles while showcasing our natural resources.