Pumpkin Holler Gravel Smasher

It’s about time! The tree leaves are changing color and the morning air temperature is growing cooler. We’ve been burning up the road all summer on our road bikes. Now it’s time to get down, dirty, and gritty on your gravel bikes. If you were there last year, you know it was an awesome race. If you were not there last year, then you owe it to yourself to load up your gravel bike and head to the 2022 Pumpkin Holler Gravel Smasher event. There’s no better place to get your gravel groove than the Pumpkin Holler Gravel Smasher race event on Sunday, October 16th in the beautiful J.T. Nickel Preserve. The largest privately protected conservation area in the Ozarks, the Nickel Preserve is a 17,000-acre remote area northeast of Tahlequah, Ok, and runs alongside the scenic Illinois River. The preserve was formed in 2000 as the result of a land gift from the John Nickel Family.

Before we get into the gritty “gravel details” about the 2022 Pumpkin Holler Gravel Smasher Event, the Team Suicide Prevention organization would like to express our sincere thanks and acknowledge that we wouldn’t be able to make this possible without the assistance of our sponsors who are also working with us to raise awareness regarding Suicide Prevention.

We are not just riding for fun. We are riding to help save lives by spreading awareness for Suicide Prevention.

These amazing sponsors include:

Bixby Bicycles
Runners World
Hope is Oxygen
Coffee Bunker
Vincent Anthony Jewelers
Quick Trip
Air-Assurance
AVB Bank

NEEF Brewery
Coop Brewery
The NOOK Brewing Co.
Broken Arrow Brewing Co.
Cabin Boys Brewing

The Gritty and Dirty Details

On Sunday, October 16th, the gravel grinder will be held alongside the already established Pumpkin Holler 100 mile running race and will share the road with the 100 mile runners as they are finishing up their event. You will do one loop for the 30 or two loops for the 60 with a 10 mile out and back in the middle of your first loop for the 70 milers.

But first, as a former trail runner, It’s humbling to ride by the trail runners racing in the 100 mile Pumpkin Holler event who are finishing up their last few miles. You see, they have been running since their trail run start the previous morning. So if you pass by one of these amazing trail runners, slow down and give them a hello and must deserved encouragement. These are the “real” tough athletes.

The gravel bike course consists of gravel country roads with a few nice climbs. It is home to grassy prairies, oaks and pines, and an extensive system of tributaries feeding the Illinois River to the south. The tree covered trail will be bursting with yellows, and reds and browns as the trees are just beginning to turn colors and show off their magnificent fall foliage. We simply believe that we have found a little slice of heaven in our otherwise mad world.

For Complete event information, click at the following link: https://www.ph100.run/bike

To go start to the registration link, CLICK HERE!

So, what are you waiting on? You’ve got time to get your bike ready to have some fun.

Thanks for your great support.