From the creators of Iceland’s famous Rift gravel race comes an all-new event for 2025 – a five-day MTB stage race exploring the northern reaches of the rugged volcanic island.
You'll want to grab your best riding pal for this one, because the riders race in pairs.
Let Lauf Cycles’ Rift MTB guide you from high mountain plateaus, birch forest trails and bike-park singletrack to the peaceful water’s edge at Eyjafjörður, Iceland’s longest fjord.
Tempted by Lauf’s new pioneering Elja mountain bike? Why not combine your new bike purchase with a VIP ticket for two to The Rift MTB for an unforgettable racing experience.
The Rift MTB: what you need to know
- Five stages over five days
- Stages 50-100km long with 1,000-2,500m of elevation gain
- Raced in pairs
- Stocked feed stations
- Fully waymarked stages and GPX files supplied
- Based in Akureyri, the ‘capital’ of North Iceland
- August 27-31 2025
- Just Ride tickets $3,500 per pair
- All-inclusive packages from $5,000 per pair, including a week in Hotel Akureyri
- Lauf Elja Ultimate Rift Experience $11,490 per pair – including one bike worth $7,590
The Rift goes chunky
Gravel fans will be familiar with The Rift, Lauf Cycles’ epic 200km single-stage gravel race across the rocky volcanic landscapes and river crossings of the continental rift, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
The race attracts pro gravel racers and everyday riders alike, and has been running since 2019, starting from Hvolsvöllur in Southern Iceland.
Building on the success of The Rift Gravel, and to celebrate the release of the Lauf Elja XC and trail bikes – inspired by riding this very terrain – for 2025, the brand is launching The Rift MTB sister event.
Unlike the established gravel race, The Rift MTB is a five-day-long affair, designed to take you deeper into the hugely varied landscapes of Northern Iceland, and is raced exclusively in pairs.
While participants are based in luxury hotel accommodations in Akureyri for the week, each day’s riding heads out onto different tracks and trails.
Not only does this offer riders the opportunity to explore the best riding on offer, they can also still enjoy a hot shower, cosy bed and post-ride refreshments after battling it out on each stage.
What to expect
The five stages of The Rift MTB vary between 50 and 100 km long, with elevation gain from 1,000 to 2,500m per stage.
According to Lauf, each stage should take between three hours (pro-racing whippets) and nine hours (party pace), depending on the course, your fitness and your skill level.
“Riding in Iceland is amazing,” says Lauf founder and CEO Benedikt Skúlason. “The season might not be long, but while it lasts, it's amazing.”
The riding is best described as varied, with the stages taking in a wealth of terrain types, from rocky, technical sections to looser sandy trails, mud, gravel, flowy hand-built singletrack and tarmac.
Like the Rift Gravel, there will also be some river crossings (remember to pack the wool socks for warmer wet feet), as well as challenging steep climbs that will test even the most proficient climbers.
Riding in August, the late-summer days are still long, with 14-16 hours of daylight and moderate temperatures from 8-15°C.
VIP Lauf Rift Experience
If you’ve been eyeing up the new Lauf Elja XC, the Lauf Elja Ultimate Rift Experience is for you. Having your bike shipped to you is so 2024, anyway.
Pick up your new dream build at the start line with your best pal, ready to ride the best trails Iceland has on offer over the following five days.
Lauf’s fully inclusive, best-value package means you won’t have to lift a finger when it comes to planning either, with all your domestic transfers, pick-ups, accommodation and meals sorted.
