Yuri Hauswald is no stranger to pushing his limits or racing at Unbound. In fact, some might say Hauswald’s 2015 Unbound 200 (formerly DK200) victory was one of the defining moments of his career, helping catapult him to gravel stardom. The gravel hall-of-famer has completed six Unbound 200 events and also finished in a very impressive second place at the inaugural 350-mile DKXL. The list goes on and on.

This year, Hauswald is coming out of “retirement” and lining up for his seventh Unbound 200 appearance, but this time, with a serious twist. The Athlete and Community Manager at GU Energy, Hauswald is working with the brand’s charitable arm, GU Gives, to raise funds with a unique challenge they’re calling Chase the Race. 

BikeRumor founder Tyler Benedict riding with Yuri Hauswald way back in 2019. (photo/Tyler Benedict)

From the Press Release:

On Saturday, May 30, Hauswald will begin the 200-mile race in the last starting position, with a goal to overtake as many riders in the field as possible, generating donation matches for each rider passed throughout the race. With a field of over 1,500 athletes, every rider passed fuels something bigger — giving back to the local community and supporting the next generation of health and wellness in Emporia, KS, with the construction of a bike skills park in the hometown of Unbound Gravel.

The end goal to raise $50,000 in charitable donations will aid in the construction of the bike skills park and provide safe access infrastructure to the park via a protected mixed-use path, originating in the town of Emporia. With support from the Life Time Foundation, an organization that helps provide resources for programs that support children’s health, including youth nutrition, movement programs, and a healthy planet, funds raised by Hauswald at Unbound Gravel will wholly go back to the community in Emporia to help fund the project. 

Joining other donors through the Chase the Race donation platform, GU Energy’s philanthropic arm, GU Gives, is donating $2,000 to support the fundraising effort in alignment with its shared brand pillar of conservation & stewardship, and access to movement for youth.

Hauswald, a former youth educator, has previously pioneered projects that raise awareness and funds to support the upcoming generation, centered around cycling as the conduit for positive impact, and has pledged $1,000 to the donation goal in addition to his upcoming effort at Unbound Gravel.

Support Chase the Race

You can support Hauswald’s effort by donating through the Chase the Race donation platform. Donors can choose to pledge any dollar amount per rider passed, or make a one-time donation of any amount. As of May 27th, Hauswald and Chase the Race are well on their way to the $50,000 goal with $23,068 already raised, and that probably doesn’t account for the per-rider-passed donations that will be calculated on race day.

How many riders will Hauswald overtake in his Herculean starting-from-dead-last Unbound 200 effort on Saturday? We’ll be watching. Best of luck to Yuri and all of the other riders taking on Unbound this weekend!

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