Dirty Kanza


DK is a group of gravel bicycle races covering various distances held annually during the late spring in the Flint Hills region around Emporia, Kansas, United States. The race's organizers refer to it as the "World's Premiere Gravel Grinder" Winners are awarded a belt buckle. In 2020, races were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Course

Starting and ending in Emporia, the routes runs along rural roads in the Flint Hills of east-central Kansas. In some years the temperature on the route has exceeded, while other years have seen rain or hail. It is not uncommon for rain to turn some dirt roads into "mud roads".
There are checkpoints spaced about 50 miles apart for longer races, and riders must carry water and food, as well as fix their own tires and bikes. If riders receive outside support at any location other than official checkpoints it will result in immediate disqualification. Riders may assist other riders by any means and at any time.

History

In 2006, the first year, the race had dozens of riders.
In 2018, the race had 2,500 registered riders.
In 2019, the race had 2,750 registered riders.
In 2020, races were postponed from May 29–31 to September 10–13, then later was cancelled because of ongoing coronavirus pandemic issues. In 2020, organizers considered a name change for the event to remove reference to Kaw nation.