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Gallery: Wild weather and brutal mud at the 2024 Canadian gravel championships

Ghost of the Gravel wild conditions

Gallery: Wild weather and brutal mud at 2024 Canadian gravel championships Photo by: Cody Shimizu
June 19, 2024
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While there were winners crowned Sunday at the 2024 Canadian gravel championships event, anyone who took on the gristly conditions at Ghost of the Gravel deserves serious respect. Racers left the start line in cold rain, making group riding a muddy affair. When the sun did come out it only partial relief. The break from the rain also saw the muddy course thicken into a drivetrain-eating mess.

Here’s the story of Ghost of the Gravel Nationals, a.k.a. the 2024 Canadian gravel national championships, as told through the photos of Cody Shimizu.

The elite men quickly finding out drafting would be a more challenging cost-benefit analysis all day. More speed = more mud. Photo: Cody Shimizu
Thousand-yard stares were barely visible through mud-cakes faces. Photo: Cody Shimizu
Ella Myers took on a trio of Canada Cup mountain bike races before Ghost of Gravel. Four races, five days, two podiums! Photo: Cody Shimizu
Grim conditions crowned deserving champions in Alberta on Sunday. Photo: Cody Shimizu
As the sun started to come out, the lush greenery lining the course came to life. Racers remained coated in brown grit. Photo: Cody Shimizu
But course conditions deteriorated. Photo: Cody Shimizu
Forward progress was hard earned for everyone, but some had a tougher go than others. Photo: Cody Shimizu
Calgary’s Nico Knoll powers her way to the junior women’s title. Photo: Cody Shimizu
As the clouds lifted, the stunning Rocky Mountain landscapes offered some respite from racer’s suffering. Photo: Cody Shimizu
Wild racing and wild horses. Pure Alberta. Photo: Cody Shimizu
Post-race smiles. Photo: Cody Shimizu

Check out Cody Shimizu’s full gallery from 2024 Ghost of the Gravel / Canadian gravel championships.