TL;DR. Badlands is a self-supported ultra-distance gravel race in Granada (~750 km, no assistance). Registration works by draw: application window expected in November 2026 (pattern from previous editions, to be confirmed). There are around 350 spots for a demand that historically multiplies that figure by five. If you are selected, preparation starts that very day.
Badlands is not a race you slot into your calendar like a weekend sportive. It is a fully self-supported event covering ~750 km through some of the most demanding landscapes in southern Spain: the Gorafe desert, Sierra Nevada, the Tabernas desert, and Cabo de Gata. No assistance. No official feed stations. With cumulative elevation that leaves no margin for error and a single stage that can last several days depending on your level and sleep strategy.
If you are reading this, the race is already in your head. This article explains how the registration process works, what to expect from the draw, and what it really means to take on this project. Exact distance and elevation figures are worth confirming on the official Badlands website before the edition, as they may vary.
When does Badlands 2027 registration open?
Following the pattern of previous editions, the application window for Badlands 2027 would be expected around 10–15 November 2026. This has not been officially confirmed: the organisation announces dates with little notice and through their own direct channels. There is no permanent waiting list or first-come-first-served registration: the system requires submitting an application within a specific window, followed by a draw.
The 2027 edition of the race is expected for late August 2027, following the usual pattern, though the exact date is also unconfirmed at the time of publishing this article. The most reliable approach is to follow the official Badlands website and communication channels so you do not miss the announcement.
How does the registration process work?
The process has nothing in common with classic popular race registrations. Nobody loses their spot by connecting too late. The typical scheme works as follows:
- The organisation announces the opening of the application window a few days in advance.
- During that window (generally a few days), you create an account on the official platform and fill in your application with the required information.
- Once the window closes, the organisation runs the draw among all applicants.
- You receive an email with the result: confirmed spot or waiting list.
- If you are drawn, you have a deadline to confirm and pay. The reference price is around 295 EUR (confirm the exact figure on the official website when registration opens).
Demand far exceeds supply. With around ~350 spots available and application pressure that has historically multiplied that number by five or more, the chances of getting in on the first attempt are not high. This means two things: first, it is worth submitting an application every year until you get through. Second, when you do get through, it is better to be ready to start working immediately. If you secure a spot, the guide what to do after the Badlands 2027 draw covers the concrete first steps.
What does it mean that Badlands is a self-supported race?
Fully self-supported means nobody is going to wait for you, nobody is going to give you food or water, and nobody is going to decide for you when to sleep. Those three variables are what separate the finishers from the DNFs.
In practice, this translates into a set of technical and physical demands that need to be understood clearly before submitting an application:
- GPX navigation. You carry the route loaded on your cycle computer and you are responsible for following it. There are no arrows or volunteers. A navigation error in Sierra Nevada or Tabernas has real consequences.
- Water management. On some stretches the distance between water points can be considerable. Planning resupply is part of training, not something you improvise on race day.
- Sleep management. Badlands is a continuous race. Sleeping is a tactical decision: how much, when, and where. Training your resilience to sleep deprivation is as important as accumulating kilometres.
- Mandatory gear. The organisation sets a safety equipment list that you are required to carry. Know it in advance and practise with that gear before the race.
If you want to get a feel for the terrain before deciding, the Gorafe desert is one of the most iconic sections of the race and you can ride it as a training route to calibrate the level of demand.
How much preparation time does Badlands require?
It does not get done in a few weeks. That is the short answer and it is the most important one in this entire article.
Badlands requires a specific preparation block of several months. Not because the distance is impossible for a cyclist with a base, but because the factors that determine whether you finish or not — management of accumulated fatigue, nutrition on the move, navigation under pressure, insufficient sleep — are not learned at a three-day camp before the start.
Optimal preparation for a race like this includes:
- A solid aerobic base built over months, not weeks.
- Multi-day long rides, preferably in conditions similar to those of the course.
- Specific training of the energy systems used in ultra-distance efforts.
- Systematic practice of navigation and gear management.
- Mental work: tolerance for discomfort, decision-making under fatigue.
At Push Rider we work with cyclists preparing for races like this with personalised planning. If you are selected in the draw or if you want to arrive with a real chance of finishing, you can learn about the gravel cycling coach programme we use for this type of goal.
What do I do if I do not get drawn?
The practical answer is: keep training and try again the following year. The fitness you build for Badlands does not expire in twelve months; if you have been training seriously, you will be better positioned for the next edition.
It also makes sense to use the waiting year to compete in smaller-scale ultra-distance races that allow you to accumulate real race experience: sleep management, bivouacking, navigation under pressure. The gravel races directory lists the main events if you want to identify alternatives or preparation races.
And if you have never ridden the area, the Gorafe desert is a destination worth visiting in its own right, regardless of whether you get a Badlands spot or not.
We will notify you of each registration window
The Badlands application window only lasts a few days and the organisation does not always give much advance notice. If you do not want to miss it, follow us on Instagram, where we post the notice as soon as the official date is confirmed.
And if you want to arrive prepared when you get your spot, at Push Rider you can tell us your current situation and we will work out together how to structure the preparation.
Badlands is one of the few races that changes your perspective on what you are capable of. But only if you arrive prepared. The luck of the draw cannot be controlled; preparation can.