The organizers of the popular gravel race Dirty Kanza have announced the launch of a new event, Big Sugar-NWA Gravel, to be held in Bentonville, Arkansas, on October 24, 2020. The event is being developed by Life Time Events and will run concurrently with Outerbike Bentonville.

The Big Sugar weekend will feature two distinctive distances. The star of the show, Big Sugar, is a 171.2 km course through the Ozarks with an elevation gain of approximately 2,700 m. The Little Sugar is 78.8 km and is limited to 800 participants; registration will open on November 15.

"Our team, including myself, is passionate about cycling and racing on such tough dirt that allows riders to participate in events bigger than themselves.

"As more riders move from pavement to dirt, we are honored to be at the forefront of this change and in a position to create truly memorable experiences that help the cycling community grow and impact in a positive way."

The Lifetime event took over Dirty Kanza's management for the first time this year, with Colin Strickland winning ahead of Peter Stetina (Trek Segafredo) and Alex Howes (EF Education First). Amity Rockwell won the women's race ahead of Alison Tetrick and Sarah Max.

Also known as the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado, won by Howard Grotz (Specialized), Quinn Simmons (Lux Cycling), who will race for Trek Segafredo in 2020, finished second, Lachlan Morton (EF Education First) was third. Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes-Pivot) won the women's race ahead of Sarah Sturm (Specialized) and Angela Parra (Columbia).

Lifetime Events chose Bentonville as the perfect location to develop an off-road cycling event because of its strong community of cycling enthusiasts.

"Bentonville has become a hub for cycling, but there are no iconic gravel races yet. We are very excited to bring an atmosphere like Leadville and Dirty Kanza to Bentonville and produce a life-enhancing event that welcomes all riders, beginners and experienced cyclists alike." We have a team with a genuine passion for cycling, especially dirt and gravel, and the resources to make it happen throughout Lifetime."

According to a study by Dr. Sean M. Laurin of Kent State University's Department of Economics, Dirty Kanza brings $5.5 million to Emporia and the Leadville Race Series brings $18 million to Leadville in economic impact.