THE FORGE - 26.2 Mile Gravel Grinder
We decided to pull The Forge Gravel Grinder from the complexities of the Old Forge Marathon Weekend and will now offer The Forge GG as a stand alone event on Saturday August 22, 2026. Just one course, 26.2 miles so hopefully there will be no confusion with course signage/direction. That's the plan anyway!
For 2026 the Start and Finish will be at the George T. Hiltebrandt Rec Center @ 225 North Street, Old Forge, NY 13420. There will not be a pre-race parade through Town.
Forging takes a mighty hammer and for riders who complete the 26.2 Mile event under 1 hour 42 minutes (102 minutes total) and under 1 hour 50 minutes (110 minutes) for Female riders, you're earning the custom hammer! You smashed it and this hammer will be one of your most unique pieces among other trophies and medals!
Hop up on your gravel, cx, 29er hardtail, full squisher or fatbike. Keep your eyes up, get that tire pressure not too soft-not too hard. Important: The surface of the course has a lot of loose rock around the size of a cue ball to baseball size. On your cx/gravel bike, go with robust casing and wider the better. It's all good if you show up with 35mm, but please be super careful at speed while descending to avoid punctures. Front suspension crowd won't have this concern but gravel bikes, please bring tube (or 2) and co2's to address punctures. Support is in the form of water and a sag. No mechanical support on course.
The surface and elevation gain will be in the spirit of true Gravel Grit and you're invited to ride as competitively or as comfortably as you like. There are several short watts buster inclines which present the challenge of a clean line rather than burning a match. Recommended low gearing minimum 34/30 (1 to 1 for a very short period isn't a bad idea) for a lightly supported grinder from Thendara to nearing Big Moose and back.
The Gravel Grinder will be a timed event with overall winners (Male/Female/Masters Male/Female) 1st-3rd. If we end up with 10 or more Fat Bikes we will also award this Division. The 26.2M race start and finish at the George T. Hiltebrandt Rec Center @ 201 North St., Old Forge, NY. We will not parade through Town as we have done years past when the event was held in early September.