There’s a new mountain bike race format on the horizon, and it looks a little different. Well, different for the world of mountain biking at least. Called the Hard MTB League, the concept seems to draw some inspiration from Hard Enduro, a form of off-road motorcycle racing with incredibly challenging terrain, timed course sections, and obstacles along the way.
The Hard MTB League is a four stage race format based around Trail mountain bikes, and Trail eMTBs. The stages feature a Tech Trail, Raw Slalom, Downhill Gnar, and Tech Climb, with each stage separately timed and then combined to form the racer’s overall time. With each course expected to take riders less than 30 seconds, it seems that this format will prioritize riding skills and line choice, though fitness will certainly come into play on the Tech Climb.
Led by Canyon rider Braydon Bringhurst, the team includes Kirk Cheney, Scott Hart, Greg Montgomery, Rob Hollerman, and Mitch Ropelato. Together, the team created a test track at Avimor in the Boise Foothills and held a test event in October with big names like Kyle Strait and Olivia Silva.
If you have the skills, the league will be hosting a qualifying event in May 2025 at Avimor. Details on how to be selected for the qualifier are to come.
