Pro Waves, Party Vibes: The Mid South Is Making Changes for 2025

If you know anything about The Mid South gravel race, you know that its founder Bobby Wintle is perpetually stoked.

And Wintle is even more hyped than normal right now because registration for the 2025 race — which will be held in Stillwater, Oklahoma the weekend of March 14-16 — opens on September 21, and he’s got some big news to share about next year’s event.

Notably, the 2025 Mid South is adding a pro category for the 100-mile race for the first time ever. In addition, the event will feature separate wave starts for the pro men and pro women before the mass start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 15.

While The Mid South has become known for a sense of collective joy and celebration that permeates from the first rider across the finish line to the ‘DFL,’ Wintle said that “it wasn’t even a question” not to acknowledge the changing landscape of the sport with a separate pro start.

He also wants everyone to know: the stoke isn’t going anywhere.

“While The Mid South will continue to stay true to being a grassroots event and throwing a killer weekend gravel festival, we hope you will embrace with us the growth of gravel racing,” Wintle said.

“We are incredibly thankful for the pro athletes that have supported The Mid South through the years and see it necessary to make this shift for a variety of reasons including safety, sponsor support, and offering our pro women athletes a true race.”

With this announcement, The Mid South becomes the latest in a line of marquee gravel races that are answering the call to separate professional cyclists from amateurs at what have traditionally been mass start events. Just two weeks ago, SBT GRVL announced that it would also feature a separate start line for pros at its 2025 event.

Adding a pro category and start won’t take anything away from The Mid South, however. The event will still open on the Thursday before the bike race with a beer can release party at Iron Monk Brewery and host a spate of shakeout rides before the race on the Friday.

The Friday before the race is also bound to become even more exciting next year with the addition of a half marathon distance run. The half marathon joins the 50k to give runners two options for pounding the red dirt on foot.

For those interested in both running and riding at The Mid South, the official ‘Double’ still consists of the 50k running race and the 100-mile bike race the next day.

Now, for the most important part: how to register for The Mid South. This year, there are exactly 3,000 entries available for the bike race and the Double. There is one guaranteed way to get an entry, and that’s to be in Stillwater at The Mid South’s ubiquitous registration party on Saturday, September 21.

At 8 a.m. sharp — the same time that online reg opens — the folks at District Bicycles will be there with laptops open to register anyone who shows up in person. After that, the shop will host two group rides, a 30 and 50-mile option, and two group runs. There will be food and coffee, and live music at Stone Cloud Brewing after the group runs and rides.

For those who want to get an even earlier jump start on the fun, the Mega Mid South, a new a 300-mile bikepacking loop kicks off on Wednesday, September 18. Any rider who completes the loop with the group will also get an entry into the 2025 race. For more info and to sign up for the Mega Mid south, click here.

While the Mid South may still be six months away, it’s never too early to get stoked on riding in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

“We can’t believe what this event has become and we thank each and every single one of you for making it this special,” Wintle said. “We believe in movement, music, celebration, and hanging out with those we love. The Mid South is all of those things because all of you keep showing up and we are forever grateful.”

Registration for the 2025 Mid South gravel race opens Saturday, September 21 at 8 a.m. CST at www.bikereg.com/themidsouth