Some races are planned months in advance, with every climb and every corner carefully studied.
Then there's The Unknown Race.
At this unsupported event in Catalonia, Spain, nobody knows the route before the start. Riders receive the coordinates of the first checkpoint just one hour before the race begins. Every following checkpoint is only revealed once the previous one has been reached. How many checkpoints there are, where the route leads next or how many kilometres you'll end up riding all remain a mystery until the very end.
That's exactly what keeps Betty coming back. After racing it once before, she didn't need much time to decide—she wanted to line up again.
Here's how Betty experienced this year's race.
Less Preparation Than Planned
Going into the race, I actually felt pretty good. Especially considering that my winter hadn't gone as planned. I was sick quite a bit and couldn't prepare the way I normally would have liked.
Having a child changes things. Your priorities shift and training has to fit around family life. But I've learned that racing and family don't cancel each other out—you just have to organise things differently and stay a little more flexible.
With that mindset, I rolled up to the start line in Reus.
The Wind Had Other Plans
Not long after the start, I realised I wasn't able to match the pace of the fastest women. Physically I actually felt good, but things just weren't coming together the way I'd hoped.
About 50 kilometres in, I met my biggest opponent.
The wind.
It felt like it was either coming straight at me or hitting me from the side for the rest of the race. At times it was so strong that I genuinely worried about being blown off the bike.
Mentally, that was probably the hardest part of the whole race. I had come into the event hoping for a top three to five finish. Suddenly, I was just fighting to stay in the race.
At some point, I had to let those expectations go.
From then on, it wasn't about my position anymore. It was simply about reaching the finish line. And at The Unknown Race, finishing alone is already an achievement.
Unsupported Means Making New Decisions Every Day
That's what makes this race so unique.
Every day brings new decisions. Where do I get food? Will my water last until the next village? Where am I going to sleep tonight?
Catalonia offered incredible scenery—lush forests, quiet villages and endless roads. At the same time, supermarkets, restaurants and petrol stations were often few and far between, so I usually had to stock up for an entire day.
Originally, I planned to sleep outside every night. On the first evening, I even found a sheltered spot outside a hotel. But despite the cover, the wind kept me awake.
So on the second night, I made a spontaneous decision and booked a hotel. It was actually the first time I'd ever stayed indoors during an ultra race.
But that's exactly what these events are about. Not sticking rigidly to the original plan, but adapting to whatever the day throws at you.
The Right Setup for Unknown Terrain
When nobody knows what's coming, choosing the right bike becomes part of the adventure.
I chose my GHOST ASKET CF LTD, hoping to take the occasional gravel shortcut along the way. Once the race got underway, though, it quickly became clear that the roads were the faster option.
Looking back, it was absolutely the right choice.
The narrower gravel tyres rolled efficiently over the long road sections, while the gearing was perfect for the long and steep climbs.
In the end, my Wahoo showed 835 kilometres and 17,050 metres of elevation gain.
Not quite the race I had imagined before the start.
But that's probably what makes The Unknown Race so special.
You can prepare.
You can train.
You can make a plan.
In the end, the race decides.
