The Rift is one of the more aesthetically striking races on the calendar, built entirely around Iceland's otherworldly volcanic terrain. Riders cross the tectonic rift between continents amid dark lava fields, glacial river crossings, and July weather that can shift from calm to genuinely dangerous within the same afternoon. Founded by Lauf Cycles (the Icelandic fork manufacturer), it's grown from a small early field to over 600 starters, drawing an international crowd for whom the destination is as much the draw as the race itself.
The Rift has a bucket-list reputation among gravel racers globally that's outpaced its still-modest field size — this is a race people travel a long way for simply for the experience.
The 200 km distance is the race's original and defining format — a loop across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge through dark volcanic lava fields, literally riding the seam between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The new 330 km Abyss is capped at 30 riders, requires proof of readiness to enter, and pays winner-take-all with no runners-up prizes. The course is notoriously demanding: water crossings, rocky and bumpy terrain, and weather that can turn on you fast.
Registration for all distances opens September 1 of the prior year; the Abyss ultra distance requires separate qualification/vetting beyond simply paying the entry fee.