The Heywood Ride is coming up on its senior year of grassroots gravel this May 17, 2025 in Northfield, Minnesota. The largest gravel ride in The Nxrth's coverage area has no sponsors, no podium, is not a race, and has a unique focus on being a welcoming space for all people. Learn more about how it all came to be and what the future has in store for the Heywood Ride.
To learn more and register for the ride, visit The Heywood Ride.
Photos by @jarrod_from_hope
In the landscape of increasingly commercialized gravel events, the Heywood Ride in Northfield, Minnesota stands apart for its focus on accessibility and community.
The event has grown from 800 riders in 2022 to nearly 1,200 registered in 2024.
The Birth of The Heywood Ride
Let's back up. Where did Heywood originate and is it a continuation of The Almanzo ride?
Kind of but kind of not.
The Almanzo was started by Chris Skogen in the early 2010s and ran for many years primarily out of Spring Valley, Minnesota. One of the first of its kind, Almanzo set the template for free, grassroots gravel events in the upper Midwest. Near the end of its time, the Almanzo ride ended up moving away from Spring Valley and Skogen briefly relocated the event to Northfield in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the pandemic pause in 2020 and 2021, Skogen officially passed the torch to the Heywood organizers Marty Larson, Ben Witt, and Mike Lehmkhul to start something new, The Heywood Ride, in a similar spirit as Almanzo in Northfield, Minnesota.
Gravel for Everyone With Minimal Barriers to Entry
The Heywood team has maintained key elements of the Almanzo's spirit while creating their own identity. Most notably, they've kept the event extremely affordable. Initially it started as a pay-what-you-want event and now continues with just a $25 entry fee, dramatically lower than many gravel events that are priced much higher.
They've also instituted a "pay for another rider" program that has proven surprisingly popular, with around 100 riders typically contributing to help others participate. If you could use some financial support to cover your entry fee, this community fund has your back, no questions asked.
"We offer something that a lot of gravel rides don't," explains Marty. "It's that space for people of any flavor to come down and be amongst familiars and amongst people that are going to treat them with respect."
Camaraderie Over Competition
Obviously not everyone is out to race at all race events. But Heywood specifically creates a space that not a race and doesn't try to be.
Did you finish first in your event or first in your age class? Cool! There is no podium.
Riders can choose between 30, 60, or 110, 165, and 390-mile routes – with the flexibility to change their distance on ride day based on how they're feeling. Forget the cumbersome transfer process, Heywood just wants you to go out and ride the ride the feels right for you when you show up. The 30 and 60-mile options frequently attract first-time gravel riders, while the event also offers more challenging options including a 165-mile route as well as a 390-mile ultra-distance challenge that begins on Thursday night. Yikes.
Side note, I asked Marty if he, Ben and Mike have done the 390-mile route. While he said they'd like to do it as a multi-day tour at some point, he laughed it off, noting that they are far from fit or fast enough to do it in one go.
Ben, Marty, Mike, & No Sponsors
The organizers, Ben, Mike, and Marty, have deliberately kept the event simple and grassroots.
It is run by just the 3 core team members plus their spouses and a handful of volunteers.
They've avoided corporate sponsorships and maintained a focus on the riding experience. This approach has resonated in the gravel community. At a time when many events have trended toward higher entry fees and more competitive formats, the Heywood has found success by moving in the opposite direction.
The guys believe they could eventually grow to 2,000 participants while maintaining their grassroots approach, though they're cautious about expanding beyond what their small team can manage.
The 2025 Heywood Ride and Beyond
2025 will see the addition of music and food trucks at the finish line in Northfield's tree-covered park. But the emphasis will remain on creating a welcoming environment where riders can set up tents, enjoy a fun party and cheer on finishers.
"This is just a bike ride," Marty emphasized. "We're doing this to provide a space for people to come and ride their bikes. It's not an expo. It's not a trade show."
By prioritizing accessibility and community over competition and commercialization, the Heywood has carved out a unique environment in the gravel scene – one that suggests there's still plenty of appetite for events that stay true to the grassroots spirit that helped launch gravel cycling's popularity.
To learn more and register for the ride, visit The Heywood Ride.
