Route
One unforgettable ride
This is a route that tells a story—of history, hardship, and beauty.
Winding through the timeless landscapes of Messenia, the course takes you past ancient monuments and through the legendary Arcadian Gate, deep into olive groves and rugged hills where the real climbing begins. The middle section packs a punch—tough, technical, and testing your grit.
But your reward awaits: a flowing, fast stretch of gravel along the Pamisos River, rolling back toward the sea. You’ll finish on the edge of the Mediterranean, your wheels almost hitting the sand at Kalamata beach—tired, proud, and part of something extraordinary.
109km
1,664m
Ready to Ride It?
The course is set. The challenge is real. Now it’s your turn to take it on.
Your Merciless journey begins and ends at the Kordias football stadium, just steps from the beach in Kalamata. A short tarmac roll-out hugs the coastline, with an arrow-straight first and final 500 metres to settle the nerves—or launch the sprint.
At 6km, the tarmac gives way to fast, hard-packed gravel as the route gently rises inland through flat agricultural land. Wide, flowing tracks guide you north toward the hills, gradually meandering through olive groves past the airport and into a more remote landscape. After crossing the road at Eva, a stretch of tarmac links into a steady, undulating climb through quiet villages where time seems to have paused.
The terrain becomes more varied as you ride from Eva toward Ancient Messini. Expect a mix of fast eurogravel and looser, narrower doubletrack. This section winds through deep olive country, across small cols and down into secluded valleys—including a river crossing. The first Feed Zone awaits in Klima, offering a well-earned break before the route begins a challenging ascent.
As you crest the final climb, you’re rewarded with breathtaking views over the ruins of Ancient Messini—followed by the most technical descent of the day. Caution is advised here, as loose surfaces and steep gradients demand full focus.
A short paved climb leads through the iconic Arcadian Gate, an awe-inspiring relic of Greece’s classical past. From here, high valley tracks roll and rise toward the route’s highest point at 464m.
Then the real reward: an exhilarating, closed-road descent from the Monastery of Voulcano, snaking down a ribbon of tarmac with perfect hairpins. At the base, the route rejoins fast gravel and follows the Pamisos River to the ancient bridge in Meligalas, where the direction turns south.Soon after, riders hit the second Feed Zone in Valyra, marking the beginning of the final push back to the sea.
From Valyra, the course flows through citrus groves and olive-lined tracks, gently undulating as it re-enters familiar terrain near Aris Dam. The third and final Feed Zone awaits here, just 25km from the finish.
From this point, the earlier drag becomes a subtle descent—helped by a likely tailwind in the afternoon—giving your legs and spirit a final lift. The closing kilometres will fly by, with the gravel ending around 2km from the line. And then, the sea. The sun. The finish.
Welcome back to Kalamata. You’ve conquered The Merciless.
