FACT: The Irish Hills Gravel returns Saturday, October 17, 2026, in Brooklyn, MI, with three course offerings: a 100 KM ride starting at 9:00 a.m., a 50 KM ride at 9:05 a.m., and a 30 KM (mini course, 20 miles or less) ride at 9:10 a.m., according to the event’s official site.
FACT: Online registration is $100 for all distances and closes October 14, 2026. Onsite registration is available October 16 for $125. The event is an official member of the 2026 Michigan Gravel Race Series. The allevents.in listing places the race’s start and finish at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn; the official site does not name the start/finish point on the page we opened, so confirm the exact location when you register.
The details
- What: Irish Hills Gravel — grassroots gravel cycling race/gathering
- When: Saturday, October 17, 2026 — 100 KM 9:00 AM, 50 KM 9:05 AM, 30 KM mini 9:10 AM
- Where: Brooklyn, MI (Irish Hills region; start/finish listed at Michigan International Speedway on third-party listings)
- Registration: Online by Oct 14 ($100, all distances); onsite Oct 16 ($125)
- Extras: Official 2026 jerseys available; event t-shirt guaranteed if registered by Sept 1
- Contact: admin@experiencejackson.com / (517) 764-4440
COMMENTARY: The Irish Hills in October is gravel cycling’s natural habitat — rolling farmland, short steep hills, and trees doing their full autumn performance. The event’s own pitch is deliberately un-corporate: “a chance to ride hard or easy, solo or side-by-side, and to start the day with good coffee and food and finish it with a cold beverage of your choice.” That’s the grassroots formula that’s made Michigan’s gravel series the biggest in the country, and Brooklyn hosting it puts Jackson County on the map for a weekend of visiting riders and their coffee money.
Registration rules worth knowing
FACT: Per the official site: registrations are transferable but NOT refundable; all merchandise purchased online is available at packet pickup only — items are not shipped before or after the event; the guaranteed t-shirt deadline (register by September 1) has already passed for 2026. COMMENTARY: The no-refund rule is normal for grassroots races, and “transferable” is the friendly part — if your plans change, hand your slot to a friend rather than eating it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to race, or can I ride casually?
FACT: The official site describes the event as “a gathering” where you can “ride hard or easy, solo or side-by-side.” COMMENTARY: The mini course (30 KM, about 20 miles or less) is the friendliest door in — it’s a ride, not a death march.
When does online registration close?
FACT: Online registration closes October 14, 2026, at $100 per rider for all distances. Onsite registration on October 16 costs $125. Don’t wait — one week out from race day, the price goes up $25.
Where do I stay?
COMMENTARY: The official site’s “Where should I stay?” section exists but we couldn’t verify its recommendations from the page text we opened. Brooklyn, Cement City, and Jackson proper all sit within easy driving distance of the Irish Hills. Book early — a regional race weekend fills local rooms.
Why this matters for Jackson
COMMENTARY: The Irish Hills sits partly in Jackson County, and events like this are exactly how small-region economies punch above their weight: riders travel, riders eat, riders stay. The race’s own “Support Local Riders, Support Local Impact” framing is honest about the exchange — Brooklyn’s quiet roads get ridden, and Brooklyn’s businesses get the weekend. If you’ve never watched a gravel start, October 17 at 9 a.m. is the morning to see what the fuss is about.
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