What are the Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships? 

USA Cycling (USAC) organizes national championship events for all disciplines of cycling every year in different locations across the country. Riders compete at the Elite, Junior, Master, and non-championship levels. The Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships will include the following disciplines.

• Marathon (XCM): The Marathon race will be on Monday July 14 at Carvins Cove. Marathon is a mountain bike event between 37 and 62 miles. The course can be laps or a single loop. There will be at least three places where feeding and support are available. There is a neutral water zone available to all riders. Riders will start in waves based on category. View the full schedule here.  
• Short Track (XCC): Short Track will take place on Wednesday and Thursday during race week at Elmwood park. Short Track is a mountain bike race held on a short off-road track that is as close to 2km as possible. The course is 100 percent rideable regardless of terrain and weather conditions. Riders race multiple laps with a race duration of about 20 minutes for most fields. Different categories will have their own start times. View the full schedule here. 
• Cross Country (XCO): The Cross-Country Races will take place Friday to Sunday during race week at Explore Park. Cross-Country is a mountain bike race that is held on a circuit course comprising forest roads, forest or field trails, and unpaved dirt or gravel roads. Riders will race multiple laps, depending on their category. Races typically last between 30 to 90 minutes depending on category. Different categories will have their own start times. View the full schedule here. 

Can I Race? Do I need to Qualify? 

Everyone from age 11 to 70+ can race at Nationals! It is a unique opportunity to race within your age group with riders from all over the country. E-MTB and non-binary categories are available as well.  
 
Most categories do not need to qualify, but you do need to hold the correct level license to compete at the national level. Juniors ages 15-17 need to qualify in advance or at an on-site qualifier as described below. There are also non-championship races for all riders, including novice riders.  
 
A summary of license requirements are below, but the short version of the story is that you will want to attend some USAC-sanctioned races throughout your season to prepare for Nationals to earn points, upgrade your license, improve your call up position, and to just gain valuable race experience.

License & Qualifications for Marathon, Cross-Country, and Short Track

Cross-Country Mountain Bike licenses come in four levels and are issued by USA Cycling: Pro, Cat 1, Cat 2, and Cat 3. For most age groups at Nationals (but not all), you must hold at least a Cat 2 license or higher to compete for a national title. Cat 3 riders, however, can still compete in non-championship races during Nationals, as well as Singlespeed and E-MTB categories. Riders can use a one-day license to race in non-championship categories. 

You can upgrade your license by completing races and earning points. If you are getting a USAC license for the first time, you will start out in Cat 3 (or novice). To move up to Cat 2, you simply need to complete five USAC sanctioned races and then request your upgrade. (Your upgrade will not be applied automatically.) To move up to a Cat 1 or Pro license, you need to earn points. More info on category upgrades can be found here. 

License requirements are different for each age group and event. A high-level summary as of 4/7/2025 is described below, but please also refer to the official USAC rules here to confirm your requirements.  

• Marathon (XCM): Juniors 15-16 and 17-18, and all master’s up to age 54 must hold at least a Category 2 license. Riders who are 55+, Single Speed, and Non-Binary can compete with any category of license. Elite/Open racers must hold a Pro license.  
• Short Track (XCC): Juniors 11 to 14 can compete with any category of license. Juniors 15-16 and 17-18 must hold at least a Cat 1 license. Amateur men 19-29 must hold a Cat 1 license, and Amateur Women can race with a Cat 1, 2, or 3 license. Master Men 30-39 must hold at least a Cat 1 license, and Women 30+ can hold any license. Men 40+ must have at least a Cat 2 license. Under 23 riders must have at least a Cat 1 license, and Elite riders must have a Pro license.  
• Cross Country (XCO): Juniors 11 to 14 can compete with any category of license. Juniors 15-16 and 17-18 must have at least a Cat 2 license. Amateurs 19-29 must have at least a Cat 2 license. Men 30-54 must have at least a Cat 2 license, and Women 30-49 must have at least a Cat 2 license. Men 55+, Women 50+, Single Speed, and E-MTB (19+), can hold any category of license. U23 Men must have at least a Cat 2 license, and U23 women can hold any license. Elite racers must hold a pro license.

Junior Qualifications for Cross-Country (XCO)

Due to the size of Junior fields, junior riders, both men and women, need to qualify to race at Nationals, as the field size is limited to 120 riders. There are multiple ways junior riders can qualify, including an on-site qualification race. 

• Previous performance at Nationals: National Champions who age up from 2024 to 2025 will be qualified in their new category. Podium places in their specific age group will also earn a spot. For 17-18, the top three riders in their specific age group in 2024 will earn a spot, and the top five for 15-16in their specific age group will earn a spot.  
• Qualification through the Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Series: All Junior events in this series offer participants the opportunity to secure an automatic qualification in their respective age-group. Riders must compete in the Cat 1 15-16 or UCI 17-18 for the National Qualifier.  
• UCI Rankings: Juniors 17-18 can qualify based on UCI points.  
• USAC Points: Remaining spots, up to 100, can be earned through USAC points and rankings. Riders earn points by competing in USAC races throughout the year.  
• On-Site qualifier: The remaining 20 spots can be earned through performance at the on-site qualifier. This race will take place during the week of Nationals.

Junior Qualifications for Short Track (XCC)

The field size for all Cross-country Short Track (XCC) will be limited to 50 riders each for the final XCC event. For fields of more than 50 riders, qualification races will be held onsite.

What are the Mountain Bike Nationals Courses? Can I pre-ride? 

In general, expect climbing! There is almost nothing flat in Roanoke. Most Roanoke-area trails hold up well in rain, and it is rarely muddy in July unless there is an extended period of steady rain. Feel free to give us a call at 540-900-5020, or stop by, for more information on these trails, trail conditions, or others in the area.  

• Nationals Marathon Course (XCM): The Marathon race will be held at Carvins Cove. You can expect hand built singletrack, mountain climbs, long descents, roots, rocks, creek crossings, and the occasional switchback. 
• Nationals Short Track Course (XCC): The Short Track race will be at Elmwood Park and created specifically for race week
• Nationals Cross-Country Course (XCO): The Cross-Country race will be at Explore Park. Explore Park has hosted many races over the years, and to make sure Nationals is the best event there yet, they are building many new trails. Expect a mix of punchy climbs, rocks, roots, old-school hand-built trails, and new machine-built trails. 

Check out the course maps here.

Are There Events for Beginners?

Short Track and Cross-Country racing are a beginner-friendly variety of mountain bike racing because the courses are short, and they use a multiple lap format. Beginners can compete in the non-championship races—you just need a USAC license. You can even just get a one-day license to race non-championship events. 

What other fun stuff is happening that week? 

Lots! Stay tuned for details...