Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Kristi Mohn, Unbound Gravel
At a glance: In 2006, Tim Mohn participated in a gravel road bike race in Emporia. It went so well that it became an annual event. The annual race has now grown to attract hundreds of riders, thousands of viewers, and media from around the world.
More information: Ron Wilson, rwilson@ksu.edu, 785-532-7690
Photos: Ron Wilson | Kristi Mohn
Website: Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
March 12, 2025
By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University
Twelve thousand people are gathered at the finish line as bicyclists pass through the iconic arch that marks the finish of a grueling race. These cyclists literally come from all over the world to participate in this remarkable event – which takes place in rural Kansas.
Kristi Henrikson Mohn told us about Unbound Gravel, this world-renowned bicycle race on the gravel roads of the Kansas Flint Hills.
At right: Kristi Mohn | Download this photo
Kristi grew up in Emporia and earned a degree in education from the University of Kansas. After a stint in San Francisco, she returned to Lawrence to get her master’s degree. She met and married Tim Mohn, who is a musician.
They moved back to her hometown of Emporia and purchased a music store. Kristi also started a real estate business that continues today.
“I was an avid runner,” Mohn said. “(And) I like to hike and be outside.”
She encouraged her husband to run with her. He tried it but didn’t enjoy running. Then he tried bicycling.
“He absolutely loved it,” Mohn said. They started biking together. “Cycling was a date night for us.” They would later own and operate a bike shop in Emporia.
In 2006, Tim Mohn was among the 34 riders who participated in a gravel road bike race around Emporia. The race was inspired by two Kansas cyclists who had seen a similar race in Iowa. “They thought the Flint Hills would be a perfect backdrop for a bicycle race,” Mohn said.
The Emporia-area race was so successful that it became an annual event. As an outdoor race on gravel roads, the event was then called the Dirty Kanza.
Kristi Mohn chaired an Emporia Chamber of Commerce task force that sought to expand community events for the benefit of Emporia. “We wanted to build on what we had,” Mohn said. She saw an opportunity with the race and recommended that the location of the race start and finish in downtown Emporia.
The event grew through the years. In 2018, the race was purchased by Life Time, the health and fitness company. Then the Covid pandemic hit. At the end of 2020, when it was determined that it was safe to have a large public bike race again, the race name was changed to Unbound Gravel.
Bicycling on gravel has become its own specialized sport, something between road racing and mountain biking. Kristi Mohn still enjoys promoting Unbound Gravel.
Today, Emporia is considered the gravel bicycle racing capitol of the world. Unbound Gravel will draw participants from 50 states and more than 40 countries. Media representatives from all over the world will come to Emporia.
Unbound Gravel takes place on the weekend after Memorial Day. A two-day, open air expo of gravel cycling exhibitors takes place on Thursday and Friday. Race day is Saturday.
In addition to other cyclists, this race will attract more than a hundred professional male and female riders from around the world. A junior division is for younger riders.
Racers can opt for courses with the distances of 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, 200 miles, or “XL,” which is an incredible 350 miles long. Official checkpoints are located every 50 to 75 miles. An estimated 97% of each route is on Flint Hills gravel roads.
The routes begin and end in downtown Emporia and pass through Lyon, Wabaunsee, and Morris Counties. Routes can include really rural communities such as Hamilton, population 182, and Burdick, population 28 people. Now, that’s rural.
Distance, endurance, and road surface are not the only challenges. “These riders go, no matter what,” Mohn said. “They also have to battle Kansas weather: Wind, heat, rain, mud. It’s a solo adventure to test your mental toughness as well as physical strength.”
For more information, see www.unboundgravel.com.
Twelve thousand people will gather in Emporia at the finish line. “It’s pretty spectacular,” Mohn said. We salute Kristi Mohn and all those involved with Unbound Gravel for making a difference with this remarkable sporting event.
It’s an amazing race – and an amazing community.
And there’s more. Remember the Mohn’s bike shop? We’ll learn about that next week.
Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at www.huckboydinstitute.org/kansas-profiles. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit www.huckboydinstitute.org.
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