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PaceUp and Focal Events have partnered to elevate marketing and communications around the Focal Events series.
Focal Events has engaged PaceUp to deliver strategic marketing and communication services across the brand, including the recent addition to its portfolio, Gravel Rocks, a weekend celebration of gravel riding and racing set to a festival atmosphere.
“We’ve worked with Bryan and Neil at Focal Events through a number of client partners who sponsor events in their portfolio, and have seen first-hand how great their events are,” explained PaceUp director, Tom Copeland.
“We got together and identified a growth marketing strategy to develop the brand and event portfolio, something we’re excited to build upon.”
PaceUp will also support growth across Focal Events’ wider, growing portfolio of events which includes Dirty Reiver, Frontier 300 and Just.Gravel.
Focal Events co-director Neil Atkinson added: “We’ve been discussing ideas for some time with PaceUp to get creative about various ways of marketing our events and have long discussed taking this support to the next level.
“The team’s experience and understanding of the industry and events will be a great addition to our output as we continue to develop our events and the wider Focal Events brand.”
This year saw the first edition of Gravel Rocks.
Taking place from Friday, July 12, to Sunday, July 14, the two day, festival style event, rolled out from Duncombe Park on the edges of the North York Moors National Park.
The weekend delivered a balance of social, a sense of adventure and a sprinkling of timed sections for those with sights on the podium.
On Friday night, “Gravel Rocks in the Dark” kicked things off with two timed special segments in and around the estate.
Saturday saw a single loop through classic North York Moors riding terrain with moorland trails, singletrack descents and further timed stages. To add to the event, riders did not know exactly where the timed segments were until they got there.
Entries for Gravel Rocks 2025 open on Friday, November 1, with the hugely popular Dirty Reiver also opening entries on Sunday, December 1.
Entries for Frontier 300 are already open.
