Gravel · Del Mar, California · since 2012
Belgian Waffle Ride California
The organizer's future-dates page lists BWR CA 2027 for April 25 (a Sunday). The 2027 venue and the Saturday expo/Gran Roadie-Oh date have not been posted yet; in 2026 the festival ran Saturday–Sunday at the Del Mar Polo Fields.
What is the Belgian Waffle Ride California?
Belgian Waffle Ride California is a mixed-surface 'unroad' race that starts and finishes at the Del Mar Polo Fields at Surf Sports Park in Del Mar, north of San Diego, in late April or early May. The 106.5-mile Waffle carries about 7,500 feet of climbing and 30 sectors of sand, dirt and singletrack; the Wafer (60 miles) and Wanna (32.7 miles) are shorter. Michael Marckx started it in 2012, and it is now the California stop of the Quad-Tripel Crown of Gravel series. The next edition is listed for April 25, 2027.
2027 registration was not open as of September 15, 2026. The 2026 edition sold entries through BikeReg (bikereg.com/belgian-waffle-ride-california-2026), and the 2025 series opened registration on October 15, 2024, so expect a mid-October opening for 2027. Check the official CA page for the live link.
- Next edition
- Usually
- Late April or the first weekend of May (2026 was May 2–3; 2025 was April 25–27)
- Start
- Del Mar Polo Fields at Surf Sports Park, Del Mar, CA (near the Del Mar Fairgrounds)
Del Mar, California - Distances
- Waffle — 106.5 miles — About 7,500 ft of climbing and roughly 40% 'unroad' (dirt, sand, singletrack). The main event; men's waves started 8:30 a.m. in 2026.
- Wafer — 60 miles — About 3,750 ft of climbing.
- Wanna — 32.7 miles — About 2,500 ft of climbing; the short option.
- Terrain
- Mixed: pavement, gravel, dirt, deep sand, rocky doubletrack, fire roads and singletrack through North San Diego County canyons, with about 30 unroad sectors on the Waffle.
- Climbing
- 7,500 ft on the longest route
- Founded
- 2012 by Michael Marckx (MMX), founder of BWR. The 2026 edition was billed as the 15th annual.
- Organizer
- Monuments of Cycling
How the Belgian Waffle Ride California started
Michael Marckx started the Belgian Waffle Ride in North San Diego County as a Belgian-classic-style day of pavement and dirt bracketed by waffles and beer. The organizers count 2026 as the 15th annual California edition, which puts the first ride in 2012. It is produced by Monuments of Cycling, which now also runs BWR events in Arizona, Utah, Montana and Mexico.
For 2025 the California event moved to the Del Mar Polo Fields at Surf Sports Park, next to the Del Mar Fairgrounds and close to the coast, and became a three-day festival with a Saturday road gran fondo (the Gran Roadie-Oh) and an Unroad Expo before Sunday's main ride. That year BWR also launched the Quad-Tripel Crown of Gravel series and added Bozeman, Montana.
The 2026 ride, May 2–3, marked the 15th anniversary with a new route that reached toward the Boden Canyon Ecological Reserve between Escondido and Ramona. Daxton Mock and Cécile Lejeune (both Trek Driftless) won the Waffle.
What to expect on the day
Saturday is the Gran Roadie-Oh, a road gran fondo with 24-, 66- and 100-mile options, plus the Unroad Expo at the polo fields. Sunday is the Belgian Waffle Ride itself, with Waffle men starting at 8:30 a.m. in 2026, followed by women's waves and the other categories.
The Waffle is roughly 107 miles with about 7,450–7,500 feet of climbing and around 30 unroad sectors: deep sand, rock, doubletrack, fire road and singletrack, strung together by canyon climbs inland from the coast. Tire choice matters more than at most gravel races; the sand and rock punish narrow rubber.
The Wafer (60 miles) and Wanna (32.7 miles) hit a subset of the same sectors. All routes start and finish on the grass at the polo fields, where the waffles and Belgian-style beer are served.
Weather in Del Mar for the Belgian Waffle Ride California
Del Mar on the coast is mild in late April and May: average high about 69°F, low about 58°F, with under one rainy day in the month. The course runs inland into the canyons, where afternoons are noticeably hotter and drier than at the start.
Loading the forecast for Del Mar…
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Times are local to Del Mar.
The town
Sleep, eat, fix the bike.
Del Mar is a small beach city of about 4,000 people on the coast of San Diego County, roughly 21 miles north of San Diego International Airport. It is best known for the Del Mar Fairgrounds and its summer horse racing, and since 2025 it has hosted the Belgian Waffle Ride California at the Del Mar Polo Fields at Surf Sports Park, next door to the fairgrounds. Cyclists come for BWR and for the coast road and the canyons inland.
Fly into San Diego International (SAN), about 21 miles south; the drive up I-5 takes 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. Los Angeles is about two hours north by car. You will want a car in Del Mar, since the village, the polo fields and the Solana Beach bike shops are spread along a few miles of coast, though a bike covers it too.
Group rides around Del Mar
Free, recurring, open to anyone. Ride with locals the day before, or the week after.
Belgian Waffle Ride California FAQ
Where does it start?
At the Del Mar Polo Fields at Surf Sports Park in Del Mar, next to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, about 21 miles north of San Diego International Airport.
Is it a gravel race?
BWR calls it 'unroad': pavement plus dirt, sand, rock and singletrack. The Waffle is about 40 percent off pavement.
How long are the courses?
Waffle 106.5 miles (about 7,500 ft of climbing), Wafer 60 miles (about 3,750 ft), Wanna 32.7 miles (about 2,500 ft).
When is the 2027 edition?
The organizer's future-dates page lists April 25, 2027. Venue and full schedule were not yet posted as of September 2026.
What bike should I ride?
A gravel bike with wide tires is the norm. The sand and rock sectors are the reason.
Is there a road option?
Yes. The Saturday Gran Roadie-Oh offers 24, 66 and 100 miles on pavement.
Sources · 8 pages we read
- belgianwaffleride.bike https://www.belgianwaffleride.bike/pages/belgian-waffle-ride-ca
- belgianwaffleride.bike https://www.belgianwaffleride.bike/pages/future-dates
- belgianwaffleride.bike https://www.belgianwaffleride.bike/blogs/news/belgian-waffle-ride-expands-with-the-quad-tripel-crown-of-gravel-series-and-new-venue-in-del-mar-for-2025-registration-opens-october-15-new-race-added-in-bozeman-montana-14th-annual-bwr-ca-moves-to-del-mar-polo-fields
- socalcycling.com https://socalcycling.com/2026/05/01/fifteenth-annual-belgian-waffle-ride-california-returns-this-weekend/
- socalcycling.com https://socalcycling.com/2026/05/06/2026-belgian-waffle-ride-california-results-highlights/
- socalcycling.com https://socalcycling.com/2026/03/01/bwrs-15th-anniversary-celebrates-with-a-special-route/
- endurancesportswire.com https://www.endurancesportswire.com/belgian-waffle-ride-expands-with-the-quad-tripel-crown-of-gravel-series/
- weatherspark.com https://weatherspark.com/y/1806/Average-Weather-in-Del-Mar-California-United-States-Year-Round
Facts checked September 15, 2026. Dates and prices come from the organizer and change. Confirm on the official site before you book anything.
