The gravel race at Sea Otter Classic is 90 miles of high speeds, grinding climbs and slippery bends.

The trails at Fort Ord National Monument have a reputation for being tame, at least among hardcore mountain biking enthusiasts.

That’s by design. They are made for multiple types of users, so equestrians, hikers and bikers can all share a path that’s not too hairy.

But when dozens of bicyclists are jockeying for position side-by-side on these trails at speeds of up to 50 mph, where a slip on the gravelly terrain can end a race within a second, that’s when reputation gets thrown out the window.

The Life Time Grand Prix gravel race kicks off the Life Time Sea Otter Classic on Thursday, April 16. It’s the season opener for the Grand Prix series, where 44 athletes compete in six races across the country for a $50,000 grand prize.

At Sea Otter Classic, riders start and end on the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca track, winding their way through Fort Ord for three 30-mile laps, each with 2,600 feet of elevation gain.

Keegan Swenson, who has won the race on the men’s side four years in a row, is back in the lineup after suffering an injury while training in February. The 2025 women’s winner Haley Batten will not be in the lineup this year, leaving the field wide open.

Read on to see what these top athletes will experience over the course of a grueling 90-mile race.

LIFE TIME SEA OTTER CLASSIC 9am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, April 16-18 and 9am-2pm Sunday, April 19. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Highway 68, Salinas. $40/spectators Thursday-Saturday, $23/spectators Sunday. seaotterclassic.com.

Course Notes

Numbers correspond to those on map image

~~1~~ The start/finish line is on WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and its significance is not lost on the riders.

“As a racer, it’s a pretty cool experience to compete on a renowned auto race track,” says Payson McElveen of Colorado, a longtime rider in the Grand Prix series.

It’s probably the most hectic part of the race, as the riders are bunched up as they fight for position on the opening climb.

~~2~~ That gradual climb up the racetrack pays off early. This is the longest descent of the course, where Skyline Road turns into the sandy and slippery Oil Well Road, where it’s not unusual to hit 50 mph, McElveen notes.

“The second half of this descent gets narrower and twistier, so it’s a very key part of the course,” he says.

~~3~~ After some relatively flat switchbacks near the backyards of Toro Park neighborhoods, a steep, nearly one-and-a-half mile, 400-foot-elevation climb up Jacks Road awaits riders. Once at the top, it’s a fast drop that ends in a sharp, slippery turn onto Skyline Road, where the first rest stop awaits.

~~4~~ Crescent Bluff Road is a smooth, somewhat flat trail that gives riders a chance to regain energy and plan their next moves. The views overlooking Salinas ag fields don’t hurt, either.

~~5~~ Signs point the way, but the intersection of Parker Flats Road and Trail 65 is deceptive. Turn left, then left again. Trail 65 is the only single-track section of the course, which leads into a long downhill portion for riders to take a breather – and they’ll need it for what comes next.

~~6~~ The nearly two-mile Barloy Canyon Road leads to the steep, rutted terrain of Barloy Spur Road. Many cyclists will be walking their bikes up the dreaded hill.

~~7~~ “It’s not a very long or difficult climb, but it has these short, steep punchy sections, with little descents between, which makes it a tricky one to find a rhythm on,” McElveen says.

Taiko drummers at the top of the hill give riders that extra boost of energy for one of the final climbs of the course.

~~8~~ The end is in sight – or at least the beginning of the next lap. Once riders hop over a concrete lip and tread deep gravel, they’ll be back on the Laguna Seca track, climbing up the intimidating Corkscrew in reverse. It’s then back down the track, where they’ll take on the course all over again, for a total of 90 miles over three laps.