Life Time Grand Prix, the seven-race gravel and mountain bike series in the US, will have its biggest ever prize pot in 2027, putting up a whopping $800,000 in total, split across its top finishers.
It’s a 36% increase on this year’s fund of $590,000, of which women’s winner Sofia Gomez Villafane and men’s winner Keegan Swenson walked away with the lion’s share.
The riders will have to work harder for their dollars next year though, as the series will feature seven races as opposed to six, with the addition of the Rad Dirt Fest in the Trinidad mountains of Colorado. This race returns after a three-year hiatus, having featured in 2023-24.
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Riders will need to ride six races to qualify – although they can ride all seven and use their six best results.
Life Time GP also features some of the world’s most highly regarded off-road races, including Unbound and the Leadville 100.
The first $400,000 of next year’s prize money will be paid out among the top-10 finishers overall, with the top-three finishers netting $40,000, $30,000 and $24,000. There will also be a $2,500 finisher’s bonus for those placing 11th-25th overall.
The remaining $400,000 will be allocated among the top-10 finishers of each individual round – a deeper spread than in 2026, which saw cash only for the top-five. This, as well as prizes angled more generously towards the lower placings in the overall, is intended to increase season-long competition and support a wider talent pool, says Life Time.
“If we want professional off-road cycling to grow, we have to get serious about how athletes make a living,” said Life Time Grand Prix co-director Michelle Duffy in a statement.
She added: “By putting more money into every race and spreading those dollars deeper into the field, we’re creating more opportunities for more riders, not just the handful at the very top. That’s how we start building a stronger, more sustainable future for the sport.”
As well as the record prize pot, there will be an additional qualifying element to this year’s sixth running of the Life Time Grand Prix, with entry “determined primarily through performance”, say organisers.
The first 10 riders invited to compete in each category – men, women and U23 – will be last year’s overall top-10 riders. However, the remaining riders will all be decided over two races at the Sea Otter Classic weekend over 15-18 April. This differs considerably from this year, where only the top-five from the previous year were auto-qualified, and wildcards were added as late as Unbound – the second round of the series.
“We’ve listened closely to athletes, agents and partners, and one opportunity we identified was creating a clear, performance-driven path into the Life Time Grand Prix,” said Life Time’s president of events and media, Kimo Seymour. “The Grand Prix is about identifying the best all-around off-road racers, and competing across gravel and mountain bike racing reflects that. Establishing the field earlier also gives athletes greater certainty as they plan their seasons and partnerships.”
Life Time Grand Prix Events and dates
The event list for the Life Time Grand Prix 2027 is as follows:
Sea Otter Classic Gravel (15-18 April)
Unbound Gravel 200 presented by Shimano (3-6 June)
Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik (14 August)
Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival (18 September)
The Rad Dirt Fest (25 September)
Little Sugar MTB (10 October)
Big Sugar Gravel presented by Kenetik (10 October)
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