Maybe the second Heck? Navigating some dicey trail. Photo by Jeremy

Welcome to this special 18th year of The Heck of the North Gravel Cycling Classic. Registration goes live on Saturday, June 20 at 9 AM. This year, we are starting and finishing in Two Harbor's historic downtown. Our inaugural Heck Fest, with our friends at Castle Danger Brewery, will present a special live performance of one of our favorite local musicians Saturday afternoon. Food trucks, live music and Castle Danger Brewery’s finest drinks on tap. Bring a friend to celebrate with us. We are excited to start a new Heck tradition.

I love this photo that I grabbed on maybe the second edition of The Heck of the North. Somehow, I got to the sharp end of the race just as the lead group was navigating the mostly illegal crossing of some property a few miles from the finish (that’s Ross F in the Salsa jersey chasing.) Oh, the dumb stuff I did those first couple of years. We have gotten (somewhat) smarter and more savvy with permitting and the grown up parts of gravel cycling. But I hope to never lose that sense of adventure the Heck brings out in me and our riders. That’s what the Heck of the North has always been about. I almost laugh at how analog our Heck events are compared to some races these days. But we are OK with that. Our heart is still in grassroots gravel.

This year's courses are retooled and showcase the best sections of classic Heck routes. Come prepared for some of the most beautiful and challenging Heck routes to date.

I hope you an join us this year. And please welcome someone new to gravel cycling. It’s going to be a good Heck!