Genesis Bikes and Maxxis Join 2026 The Gralloch Ultra as Multi-Year Partners as Full Ultra Route Is Unveiled
Scotland's gravel festival announces title sponsorship and presenting partnership for The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis, alongside the launch of the 323km route through remote Galloway terrain.
GATEHOUSE OF FLEET, SCOTLAND - Red On Sports today announces two major developments for The Gralloch Ultra, part of Scotland's gravel festival. Genesis Bikes has been confirmed as title sponsor of The Gralloch Ultra, with Maxxis joining as presenting partner. Both partnerships are multi-year commitments. The event will now be known as The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis.
The announcement coincides with the full unveiling of the 2026 route: 323 kilometres and 4,819 metres of climbing through the Galloway Forest Park and the hills of East and Southern Ayrshire. The route takes riders through private estates, renewable energy landscapes, ancient forests and remote Galloway glens, covering ground that most riders will never otherwise see.
Departing Gatehouse of Fleet at dawn on Saturday, 16 May 2026, the route traces eight distinct sections across the wild interior of Southern Scotland. From the opening climbs past Loch Skerrow and Slaughter Hill to the champagne gravel of Raiders Road Forest Drive; from Forrest Estate and the first real test of Torrs Hill to the gravel superhighways of North & South Kyle Wind Farm, where the highest point of the route exceeds 500 metres. Riders pass through Craigengillan Estate, a 3,000-acre landscape of native woodland and loch, before the route enters its most remote passage: 50 kilometres through the southern reaches of Changue and Carrick Forest with almost no sign of civilisation. For those riding into darkness, the Galloway Dark Sky Park delivers a sky full of stars past Bruce's Stone and the shores of Loch Trool. The final kilometres bring riders back through the forest beneath the twenty granite arches of the Big Water of Fleet Viaduct before a 10km descent returns them to Garries Park and the finish in Gatehouse of Fleet.
Maximilian Wussler, Co-founder of Red On Sports, said: "A route like this doesn't begin with a map. It begins with ideas and conversations. We’ve worked closely with Forestry and Land Scotland, regional councils, private estates, working farms and individual landowners who are willing to open their ground to an event of this nature. Each section of this route exists because someone said yes, and we are genuinely grateful to every one of them. Getting that buy-in across 323 kilometres of such varied land is no small undertaking, and it is what makes this route unlike anything else in UK gravel. To then have Genesis and Maxxis come in behind that vision, on multi-year commitments, in the inaugural year of the event, means a great deal. Their belief in what the Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis can become gives us the platform to build something that will grow year on year."
Kellie Parsons, Marketing Director at Madison and Sportline, said: “We’re delighted to partner with the Gralloch Ultra alongside Genesis and Maxxis for the next two years. The Gralloch Ultra is a fantastic, growing gravel event that is a perfect fit for Genesis. Not only are Genesis bikes ideally suited to demanding off-road adventures, but the event’s strong community focus aligns closely with the brand’s values. Meanwhile, Maxxis offers an outstanding range of gravel tyres, with exciting new technologies on the horizon. 300+km of Galloway gravel really is the ultimate proving ground.
Genesis has been at the forefront of gravel riding long before it entered the mainstream. Bikes like the iconic Croix de Fer and Vagabond have been trusted favourites among riders for over two decades. Partnering with the Gralloch Ultra is a natural fit, providing adventure-driven cyclists with the reliable, high-performance bikes needed to match their ambitions.
Maxxis, long established as a leader in the mountain bike market, has more recently expanded into gravel with a strong and growing product range, including popular models such as the Rambler and Receptor. With one brand deeply rooted in gravel and the other rapidly advancing in the category, the Gralloch Ultra offers the ideal platform for both to showcase their strengths.
Riders entered in The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis can expect demo opportunities, on-route support, activations across the festival weekend and dedicated tyre guidance and technical content from both brands in the lead-up to the event.
The Genesis Gralloch Ultra presented by Maxxis is a semi-supported ultra-distance event. The full route and GPX file are available at www.grallochgravel.com/ultra-
Registration for the 2026 event remains open at www.grallochgravel.com.