SBT GRVL Black Training Plan
SBT GRVL Black is the premier test in a race that has become synonymous with Colorado's champagne gravel — fast, high-altitude, and deceptively punishing. The Black course covers 108 miles with 8,267 feet of climbing at base elevation around 6,700 feet, where every pedal stroke carries an altitude tax that riders from lower elevations consistently underestimate. The legendary "champagne gravel" of Routt County seduces riders into carrying speed they haven't earned — smooth surfaces accelerate early pacing mistakes while the altitude and relentless rolling terrain compound the damage mile by mile. By the final 30 miles, what felt like a fast, fun day in the mountains has become an exercise in pure will. This plan gives your body the fitness — and your brain the wisdom — to arrive at the start line ready for both.
Race Overview
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado (race circuit starts/finishes in Hayden, CO, 25 miles from Steamboat)
Distance: 108 miles (Black course)
Total climbing: 8,267 ft; course tops out near 8,400 ft elevation
Surface: 70% gravel — champagne hard-pack, loose chunky climbs, ranch doubletrack, minimal pavement
Timing: held in late June
Mass ride day (Blue/Red/Green courses) on Saturday; Black race on Sunday
Course Demands
Starting at 6,300–6,700 feet and climbing toward 8,400 feet, altitude suppresses power output and accelerates cardiac drift throughout the day — riders who haven't acclimatized or trained at elevation routinely go out 10–15% harder than they should in the first 25 miles and pay dearly for it. The signature challenge is a 9-mile opening climb to Wahooligan Pass with pitches at 12–20%, immediately sorting the field; subsequent climbs are steadier but relentless across working ranch land, aspen groves, and sage-covered hills. The course's road racing character — fast pack dynamics on smooth gravel — rewards both watts and pack riding skills, but the rough 5-mile Wahooligan sector adds a technical handling dimension that can shed riders who haven't trained off-road.
What This Plan Targets
- ✓High-altitude aerobic efficiency and power at reduced oxygen availability
- ✓Sustained climbing fitness across multiple long ascents without blowing up early
- ✓Pacing discipline in road-racing dynamics (group ride surges at altitude)
- ✓Gravel-specific bike handling on loose, steep Colorado terrain
- ✓Fueling strategy for a 6–10+ hour effort in mountain conditions
Who This Plan Is For
Gravel riders targeting their first or fastest SBT GRVL Black finish who want to build altitude-specific fitness, sharpen their climbing legs, and arrive in Steamboat with a race-day plan that doesn't fall apart at Wahooligan Pass.
What You'll Get
- →A structured 12–16 week build with altitude adaptation protocols and progressive long-ride volume
- →Climbing-specific intervals and back-to-back weekend rides designed to replicate the Colorado course's demands
- →Pacing and pack-riding strategy for a road-racing-style gravel event at altitude
- →A complete race-week taper and pre-ride acclimatization schedule
Training Approach
Altitude simulation or pre-event acclimatization planning, sustained threshold climbing intervals (10–20 min efforts on grade), low-cadence muscle tension work for steep loose gravel, high-tempo group-ride pacing practice, and back-to-back ride weekends at 70–80% of race duration
Ready to start training?
Get your personalized SBT GRVL Black plan today.