On March 28, 2020 the University of Arkansas Cycling Club, in partnership with the Walton College of Business, will be hosting an inaugural gravel race in Prairie Grove, Arkansas called Tour of the Hollows. All proceeds from the race will go directly toward supporting the club and toward lowering the barriers of entry for aspiring collegiate cyclists.
With Northwest Arkansas quickly becoming an American cycling mecca, and with gravel-grinders becoming one the most in-demand styles of cycling events, the UARK Cycling Club seeks to make its mark on the national cycling calendar while simultaneously advancing important initiatives along the way, namely: reversing the downward trajectory of American collegiate cycling and creating a more equitable cycling culture for women.
The inaugural Tour of the Hollows will feature a $1,000 prize purse with equal payout for both men’s and women’s categories. With two route options—the Big Hollow (60 miles and 4,700 ft. of elevation) and the Small Hollow (35 miles and 2,600 ft. of elevation)—the race will take riders on a gravel adventure through the beautiful hollows (the Ozarkian term for a valley) of rural Northwest Arkansas.
Organized entirely by student and faculty members of the University of Arkansas Cycling Club, the Tour of the Hollows is a testament to the passion that the younger generation of Northwest Arkansas has for the current and future state of American cycling.
Lastly, as gravel becomes ever more mainstream, the Tour of the Hollows offers a refreshing return to grassroots gravel-grinding—the original gravel-grinding. It will also showcase the beauty of Northwest Arkansas’ landscape, leaving no doubt in the public mind that the cycling boom in NWA is here to stay.
Online registration for Tour of the Hollows is now open on BikeReg.
