The locals have been doing long painful adventure rides for several years. We call them the “Dirty South” rides. These rides are a mix of pavement, gravel, dirt, mud and sometimes water. We continue to look for the most hills, most gravel and most painful route we can put together each year. Until now, all of these rides have just been large group rides. Some people want to hit it hard, some want to ride a casual pace and chat, and some just want to see if they can finish. Many people have been asking for a race…. So, here it is. The first Dirty South Race in the far South end of Illinois. Most people think Illinois is flat. Well, not so much down here in the Southern tip. There will be some flat sections of the course, but it will be littered with gravel and potholes. The course will be 100K + and will not disappoint. My Garmin claims last year’s route involved over 4,000’ of elevation gain. My legs didn’t argue. If you are looking for an awesome route, great challenge, killer scenery, beer, food and cool peeps to hang out with for a day, come check it out.