The Life Time Grand Prix is set to embark on its third year as a premier gravel and off-road racing series in 2024 that will include 60 elite off-road athletes competing across seven events held from April through October for a prize purse of $300,000.
The organisers confirmed that Sofia Gomez Villafane and Keegan Swenson will return to defend their overall series titles won in 2023.
Other notable names among the series' contenders include Lauren De Crescenzo, Peta Mullens, Emily Newsom, Haley Smith and Lauren Stephens, Cole Paton, Brendan Johnston, Torbjørn Andre Røed, Lachlan Morton, Petr Vakoc, Alexey Vermeulen, Andrew L’Esperance, Alex Howes, and Peter Stetina.
“Preparing for the third season of the Life Time Grand Prix has been super exciting for our team, as we continue to innovate and build on the momentum from our first two years,” said Kimo Seymour, President of Life Time Events, in a press release on Tuesday.
“We’ve all worked hard this past year to grow off-road cycling in North America, and we believe 2024 will bring even bigger enthusiasm and fan engagement with the sport.”
2024 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda
- April 19: 100K cross-country mountain bike race in the Fuego XL at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental in Monterey, Calif.
- June 1: 200-mile Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear in Emporia, Kan.
- July 13: 69-mile Life Time Crusher in the Tushar presented by The Creamery in Beaver, Utah
- August 10: 104-mile Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB in Leadville, Colo.
- September 14: 40-mile Life Time Chequamegon MTB presented by Trek in Cable, Wis.
- September 28: 110-mile The Rad Dirt Fest presented by Wahoo in Trinidad, Colo.
- October: 100-mile Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda in Bentonville, Ark.
This year’s series will provide separate starts for the men’s and the women’s elite fields at all seven events. The field size will comprise of 30 women and 30 men competing for what will be the biggest prize purse to date, a $300,000 reward equally split between the men's and women's categories.
The athletes will have the option to drop up to two events, entry fees will be covered by Life Time, and there will be random doping controls conducted at any round, according to the press announcement.
"The new $300,000 prize purse will pay out based on overall series results, which are determined by a points-based ranking system on their finishing position at each event," read the organiser's press release.
"The overall results will use an athlete’s best five finishes out of the seven events. The final event of the series, Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda, will be mandatory for all riders and will serve as a tiebreaker in the event of a tie."
2024 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda series 60 athletes
Elite women
- Crystal Anthony, 42, Bentonville, Ark., 2023 USA Gravel National Championships 3rd place
- Ellen Campbell, 26, Durango, Colo., 2022 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 5th place
- Lauren De Crescenzo, 33, Broomfield, Colo., 2021 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear winner
- Cecily Decker, 25, Bozeman, Mont., 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride Kansas winner
- Sofia Gomez Villafane, 29, Heber City, Utah, 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda overall winner
- Anna Hicks, 23, Placerville, Calif., 2023 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda 3rd place
- Erin Huck, 42, Boulder, Colo., 2022 USA Marathon MTB National Championship
- Heather Jackson, 39, Bend, Ore., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 14th overall
- Sarah Lange, 32, Lyme, N.H., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 5th place
- Kristen Legan, 37, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear XL winner
- Sarah Max, 48, Bend, Ore., 2019 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place
- Deanna Mayles, 30, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2023 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek 3rd place
- Kate McLaughlin, 35, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 10th place
- Peta Mullens, 35, Bendigo, Australia, 12-time Australian National Champion
- 15. Emily Newsom, 40, Fort Worth, Texas, 2022 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place
- Paige Onweller, 34, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2022 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda winner
- Hannah Otto, 27, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2022 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB winner
- Hayley Preen, 25, Cape Town, South Africa, multi-time South African National Champion
- Jenna Rinehart, 39, Mankato, Minn., multi-time Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek winner
- Melisa Rollins, 27, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride Utah winner
- Samara Sheppard, 33, Wollongong, Australia, multi-time New Zealand MTB champion
- Danielle Shrosbree, 29, London, England, 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 4th place
- Alexis Skarda, 34, Grand Junction, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 2nd overall
- Haley Smith, 29, Uxbridge, Canada, 2022 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda overall winner
- Lauren Stephens, 36, Dallas, Texas, 2023 USA Gravel National Champion
- Sarah Sturm, 33, Durango, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place
- Michaela Thompson, 21, Durango, Colo., 2023 Bighorn Gravel winner
- Caroline Tory, 32, Snowmass, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 12th overall
- Leah Van der Linden, 28, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 8th place
- Anna Yamauchi, 23, Santa Cruz, Calif., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 18th overall
Elite men
- Carter Anderson, 20, Eagle Mountain, Utah, 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride Utah 2nd place
- Matthew Beers, 29, Cape Town, South Africa, 2x Cape Epic winner
- John Borstelmann, 32, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 2023 Garmin Gravel Worlds winner
- Zach Calton, 26, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 6th place
- Sean Fincham, 25, Squamish, British Columbia, 2x Canadian U23 National Champion
- Russell Finsterwald, 32, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 4th overall
- Howard Grotts, 30, Durango, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 9th overall
- Finn Gullickson, 23, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2023 Belgian Waffle Ride North Carolina 3rd place
- Lance Haidet, 25, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 15th overall
- Alex Howes, 35, Nederland, Colo., 2019 USA Pro Road National Champion
- Dylan Johnson, 28, Brevard, N.C., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 16th overall
- Brendan Johnston, 31, Canberra, Australia, 2023 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda 2nd place
- Bradyn Lange, 24, Camas, Wash., 2022 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek winner
- Andrew L’Esperance, 32, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canadian Marathon MTB National Champion
- Konny Looser, 34, Hinwil, Switzerland, 2x Swiss Marathon MTB National Champion
- Payson McElveen, 30, Durango, Colo., 2018 Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB 3rd place
- Lachlan Morton, 31, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 3rd place
- Tasman Nankervis, 28, Bendigo, Australia, 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 17th overall
- Jack Odron, 20, Denver, Colo., 2023 Bighorn Gravel 4th place
- Logan Owen, 28, Bremerton, Wash., 2023 Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek 5th place
- Cole Paton, 25, Durango, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 3rd overall
- Torbjørn Andre Røed, 26, Grand Junction, Colo., 2023 Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda winner
- Jordan Schleck, 21, Kampala, Uganda, 2023 Gravel Locos Hico 4th place
- Nathan Spratt, 28, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023 Life Time Crusher in the Tushar presented by The Creamery 6th place
- Peter Stetina, 36, Santa Rosa, Calif., 8x Grand Tour finisher
- Keegan Swenson, 29, Heber City, Utah, 2x Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda overall winner
- Kyle Trudeau, 30, Tucson, Ariz., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 13th overall
- Petr Vakoc, 31, Prague, Czech Republic, 2023 Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear 2nd place
- Alexey Vermeulen, 28, Boulder, Colo., 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda 2nd overall
- Alex Wild, 31, San Jose, Calif., 2022 Sea Otter Classic Fuego XL 3rd place
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