300 MILES / SELF SUPPORTED / NO ENTRY FEE
2nd ANNUAL GRAND DEPART NOVEMBER 1st, 2025.
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300 miles of solitude
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Never more than 40 miles from resupply
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Experience OK's Cross Timbers eco region
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starting and ending from District Bicycles in Stillwater OK
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Route comprised of all historical Mid South event routes
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Oklahoma like you've never seen it
2025 Grand Depart
details
Mass start Saturday Nov. 1st 2025 at 8am.
This is a 100% self supported ride. You are responsible for you own food, gear, lodging and safety.
The Mega Mid South has no registration fee.
Trackleaders tracking is required for 2025 grand depart riders.
We roll out to a sendoff from the Mid South 2026 registration party at District Bicycles in Stillwater OK. Be ready to roll by 8am.
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If you’re taking part in the Grand Depart on Nov 1st, yes. Please sign up on Bike Reg. There is no reg fee. Trackleaders tracking on any supported device is required for all grand depart riders.
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Stillwater allows overnight parking / car camping in Strickland Park and Couch park, provided you are confined to one parking spot.
See Stillwater’s in town camping rules.
Check this out for additional camping and lodging options in town.
For camping along the route, please study the route on Ride with GPS or access the route guide at Bikepacking.com
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Early November in Oklahoma can be spectacular. We’ve had some of the best riding days in memory during this time of year. We’ve also had some of the worst. Take a look at Episode 2 of the Mega Recon series for a worst case scenario. Expect shortening days with potentially chilly mornings and evening.
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Trackleaders is a software based event tracking service that uses SPOT based tracking with proprietary “SPOT” trackers.
We decided to require this for 2025 for rider safety and planning efficiency.
You can rent a SPOT tracker from Trackleaders that will be pre programmed. Just toss it in your bag and go.
You are not required to use a SPOT tracker. You can use your smartphone, or many cycling head units offer tracking functionality.
The track leaders sign up information is included in the registration confirmation from BikeReg.
FAQS
FRIDAY OCT. 31st
MEGA MID SOUTH PARTICIPANTS MEET AND GREET (OPTIONAL) - 5 P.M. DISTRICT BICYCLES
LOCAL TRICK OR TREATING WITH COSTUME CONTEST AT STONECLOUD 5-7 P.M.
7 PM WAXIE DARGLES AT STONECLOUD BREWING
SATURDAY NOV. 1st
7 A.M. - PARTY AT DISTRICT BICYCLES
BE HERE FOR SWAG AND GUARANTEED ENTRY FOR 2026 THEN JOIN A GROUP RIDE OR RUN.
REGISTRATION OPENS AT 7:30 A.M. CENTRAL AT MIDSOUTHGRAVEL . COM
8:00 A.M - MEGA MID SOUTH GRAND DEPART FOLLOWED BY GROUP RIDES. LEAVING FROM DISTRICT BICYCLES.
FASTEST KNOWN TIMES
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Amanda put down an impressive ride in her resolute style, against some of the worst conditions riders fear here in Stillwater. All the while, showing by example the care for place and community that cycling can ground us in.
Thank you to Amanda and crew for all the time, effort and spirit that went into this FKT story.
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Chase had his eyes set on the podium of the Mid South 100 on Saturday, but with the event cancelled due to wildfires, he chose to stay in town to support the relief. Chase added an exciting element Ted King’s FKT attempt and started an hour after Ted.
Chase executed an incredible ride with a couple very quick resupply stops. Full aero to the max for all 300 miles. Chase finished at 16:58, just 40 minutes after Ted, earning himself the FKT. Chase also rallied his followers to support the United Way and was able to raise $5,000 for relief!
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Dave Easley, a local legend of endurance riding and heavy inspiration in the development of this route was the first Single Speeder to finish during the inagural grand depart with a time of 34 hours and 20 mins.
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Completed on a Salsa Powderkeg during the inaugural grand depart 9-18-24. They really gave it the beans!
This series documents a wiley band of Oklahoma cyclists as they undertake the ground truthing of the first version of the Mega Mid South route.
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Open year round
2nd annual grand depart is Nov. 1 2025. Solo or group trips are encouraged year round!
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$0.00
The Mega Mid South has no reg fee. Trackleaders are required for 2025 Grand Depart riders. Registration opening soon.
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Self supported
This is a 100% self supported ride. You are responsible for you own food, gear, lodging and safety.
A collaborative playlist and storytelling project featuring those who have completed the Mega Mid South route
Anyone who has completed the route, at any time, can submit a track and short story about their ride.
The Mega Mid South is a stunning and challenging 300-mile gravel bikepacking loop that spans a long weekend or more, depending on your speed and fitness. The loop begins and ends at District Bicycles in Stillwater, Oklahoma, home of the iconic Mid South gravel event, and is the result of over 10 years of planning and route building for The Mid South. The course is designed to highlight the unique landscapes of Oklahoma, with picturesque farmland scenery and raucous gravel roads offering riders a rewarding challenge. The route guide includes carefully detailed logistics, beautiful photos, and info about the inaugural grand depart event.
— Bikepacking.com
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Anytime! This route utilizes open roads. The route starts and ends from District Bicycles in downtown Stillwater so if you depart or return during business hours, we'll be sure to celebrate ya!
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Since the route utilizes our historical halfway point towns from past Mid South routes, there are C stores available roughly every 50 miles.
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Using the Bikepacking .com difficulty rubric, we rate this route 6 of 10. With the relatively available resupply and camping placed along the loop, and approximately 55 ft of climbing per mile. Weather and road conditions will drastically affect this rating. If there is any rain in the forecast, much of the western side of the route will be impassable mud.
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Stillwater allows overnight parking / car camping in Strickland Park and Couch park, provided you are confined to one parking spot.
See Stillwater’s in town camping rules.
Check this out for additional camping and lodging options in town.
For camping along the route, please study the route on Ride with GPS or access the route guide at Bikepacking.com
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See the route on Ride with GPS for the camping details. If these distances don't suit your approach to the route, we suggest utilizing motels, Hipcamp or wild camping where appropriate.
Our camping areas utilize honor boxes for payment. Please be honest and bring a few dollars cash for each night you plan to camp. Liberty Lake near Guthrie has waved the tents per site limit for the night of 11/1/2025, allowing Mega riders to share space. Make a friend, enjoy your neighbors and please respect the resource.
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No support crews allowed.
If you need picked up from the route for any reason you must have your own bailout plan or SAG pickup.
No support, SAG, or pickups will be provided by The Mid South or District Bicycles.
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Mega will be on Trackleaders. Riders can register here:
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As with any Mid South route, these roads are ever changing. The route is 99.9% unpaved and the dirt will change with the weather conditions. We recommend a tire of at least 38mm setup tubeless. Our crew at District Bicycles will be able to get you dialed and suggest the right gear to give you the best chance to complete the route comfortably.
Don't underestimate your need for water. It's been a hot, hot summer here in OK and these roads will dry you out!
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The Mega Mid South FKT: Nick Elliott’s Fastest Known Time
Jarrod Bunk was in attendance at a recent FKT attempt by two Angry Catfish team members, Nick Elliott and Josh Bauer on the Mega Mid South route in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Read on for a packed gallery with all the vibes, along with a fundraiser to get more riders out to the Mid South Gravel.
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Love Letters Written in Red Dirt
Erik Mathy returned to Stillwater, OK for the inaugural Mega Mid South, a 300-mile gravel cycling endurance event hosted by Bobby Wintle and the team who bring the Mid South to life every year. Below, feast your eyes on a gallery full of Erik’s unique handmade images and enjoy quotes and prose from the Oklahomans who welcome these events into their communities. Without further ado… this is the Mega Mid South.
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FINDING MAGIC AT THE INAUGURAL MEGA MID SOUTH
Nic Morales had never participated in a bike race and didn’t see the function of having someone else tell him how and where to ride his bike. Yet after years of hearing nothing but positive things about what went on in Stillwater, Oklahoma, he was drawn to their weirdest and newest event, Mega Mid South. In this piece, Nic dives into his journey across the Oklahoma plains and what exactly powers America’s most eclectic gravel event.
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Hoping to Go to The Mid South Next Year? Here’s a ‘Mega’ Way to Get There
The Mega Mid South is a new bikepacking route based out of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Doing the grand départ in September guarantees you entry to the 2025 gravel race.