Gravel racing has been one of the fastest growing sectors in mass-participation sports over the last decade or so, particularly in the US, where high-profile races like UNBOUND Gravel, Rebecca’s Private Idaho and Belgian Waffle Ride have grown massively in popularity, attracting a broad range of both veteran and newcomer cyclists to the sport. It’s against this backdrop that in 2019 professional road racer Amy Charity launched her own gravel race around the ski resort town of Steamboat Springs, CO, where she then lived. As Forbes magazine put it, SBT GRVL went on to become a remarkable overnight success, selling out in just 9 minutes in its second year and becoming one of the best gravel racing experiences in the world. So what has been the secret to the race’s massive success? That’s what we’re here to find out with Amy’s help - and in the process learn a thing or two about the unstoppable sensation that is gravel racing. In this episode:An "overnight success": planning and launching SBT GRVL The importance of local infrastructure in supporting a world-class raceBuilding community relations and being a respectful "guest" in the local communityThe appeal and insane growth of US gravel racingRoad racing vs gravel racing vs mountain bikingHow inclusivity helped propel gravel racing's growthThe cost advantages/disadvantages of organizing a gravel race vs a road raceMaking SBT GRVL a more welcoming event for female athletes and newcomersIncluding a non-competitive e-bike category into the eventActivating sponsorships year-round through grassroots and team-building eventsOffering a VIP package/experience optionBringing the SBT GRVL brand to Europe with FNLD GRVLThanks to RunSignup for supporting quality content for race directors by sponsoring this episode. More than 26,000 in-person, virtual, and hybrid events use RunSignup's free and integrated solution to save time, grow their events, and raise more. If you'd like to learn more about RunSignup's all-in-one technology solution for endurance and fundraising events visit runsignup.com.You can find more resources on anything and everything related to race directing on our website RaceDirectorsHQ.com.You can also share your questions about some of the things discussed in today’s episode or anything else in our Facebook group, Race Directors Hub.