Looking for EMTB & MTB Races?

Latest Posts ! Looking for EMTB & MTB Races?
Looking for EMTB & MTB Races?

Posted by Paul Hoyle on 20th Dec 2024

Entering events and challenges is not always about coming first, it's about having a laugh with a group of like minded people. With lots of different staff members having entered these events they are all about having fun and pushing your skill and fitness levels and riding in different locations and terrain you wouldn't normally ride.

Contents
Different types
Find a race
Our favourite picks

Different Types Of EMTB/MTB Races

Enduro MTB Races 

Enduro racing is essentially gravity racing with an endurance element. These races are typically made up of multiple downhill stages which are timed to generate the result. Whereby riders then have to ride to the next stage within a certain time limit, provided you are inside the time limit, the time you take has no impact on the result. Not every event is identical.. uplifts are found in Enduro events, so it's best to check with the organiser for the exact conditions and rules.

Enduro Racing MTB/EMTB

What type of bike will I need for Enduro Racing

To race enduro competitively, you’ll want a  full-suspension bike with at least 140mm of suspension travel, and up to 170-180mm of travel. There are no official rules for the style of bike you need, a hardtail or a down-hill bike for example can be entered but aren't recommended. In terms of equipments, firstly concerning helmets, often a standard mountain bike helmet is fine for tamer venues, however if the terrain is rockier for example, a full face is a good consideration. Otherwise knee pads, elbow pads, goggles are also excellent choices - as well as a hydration pack for those long days in the saddle.

EMTB (Electric Mountain Bikes) Races

With the rising popularity of electric mountain bikes across various mountain bike categories, its application within competition is growing. eMTB racing is based upon the pre-existing race formats used by mechanical mountain bikes such as enduro and all mountain races. In our experience Enduro is a category most popular and most accommodating of EMTB as a race format. All the enduro  electric mountain bikes we sell at MTB monster are suitable to be entered into eMTB races.  

EMTB Racing

XC (Cross Country) Races

XC racing is focused on testing a riders fitness skills and mental fortitude. XC events are typically either Olympic Cross Country or Marathon Events. 
Olympic events are fast paced, perfect for spectators, whereby riders complete laps of a track with the first over the line being the winner. The race track will usually consist of some climbing, descending and flatter singletrack sections. With a typical lap 4-5km in length and the race lasting around 90 minutes.
Marathon events take place over much further distances up to 140KM for the advanced events. These events are a true test of a riders fitness and descending skills, climbs can last as long as 60 minutes. The race track again will usually consist of some climbing, descending and flatter singletrack sections.

XC Racing 

What type of bike will I need for XC Racing

Again any bike can be entered, if you fancy trying out the sport a trail bike or enduro bike could be used to get a feel for the trails. When It comes to picking an XC bike, you'll be likely first deciding between a hardtail or a full suspension bike. A hardtail offering a more cost effective package that's lighter in weight and easier to maintain.. on account of no rear shock or linkage maintenance. However a full suspension XC bike will be more confidence inspiring and capable on down-hill sections, so if the sport is for you and you are riding lots of technical sections we would recommend increasing your budget and purchasing a full suspension XC bike to enter races. And in terms of equipment when things get more competitive,  clipless pedals and shoes, and XC style helmets might also be worth considering.

Downhill Races

Downhill mountain bike racing is the most extreme of the various categories discussed, it has fastest pace, the biggest jumps and the gnarliest tracks. Downhill racing is entirely gravity focused, unlike mass start events like XC races, downhill races are timed against a clock - the fastest time at the end of the day wins the race. Depending on the venue riders are usually uplifted on either a chairlift or gondola. 

Downhill riding is often considered the most exciting discipline for both riders and spectators. The features and technical nature of the runs requires extreme focus, physical strength and shear confidence to complete. It's no wonder the courses are typically no longer than 5 minutes in length.

Downhill MTB Racing

What type of bike will I need for Downhill Racing

A  downhill bike will feature nothing lower than 180mm of suspension travel, to protect riders from large impacts expected on downhill courses, double crowns, downhill tyres/insterts and burly components offer increased confidence on gnarly terrain. Due to the extreme nature of downhill tracks it's important the right kit is used... that you wouldn't wear on your average trail. Firstly a full face helmet is a must, combined with goggles to ensure vision is not an issue. Knee pads are also very important. Additionally body armour, neck braces and elbow pads may also be considered mandatory depending on the event organiser.

Where To Find EMTB/MTB Races

1 -  Sientires is an excellent place to search for races, catering to a wide range of sports. To find mountain bike races simply use the filters located on the left side of the website, select cycling - open the drop down, and then use the filters to search for category specific races.

Looking for EMTB & MTB Races? (Sientries)

2 -  British Cycling is another excellent option to find races, the website covers a broad range of cycling news and cycling rankings. However to find mountain bike races, first click on 'offroad', then 'mountain bike', scroll until mountain bike events is visible on the right hand side and then you can filter for different events.

Looking for EMTB & MTB Races? (British Cycling)

3 - Finally  Moredirt.com is a purely mountain bike focused website, primarily used to locate trails and events. To locate races and events, first click 'find events' on the website tab bar, then you can both filter by category, and search your post code to find events closest to you.

Looking for EMTB & MTB Races? (More Dirt)


Our top picks for UK races

Boltby Bash - Enduro (Location: North York Moors). 'Five stages on “wild, natural trails” on private land, with everything from flowing loam to technical rock'.

Ard Rock - Large event encompassing a broad range of MTB/EMTB disciplines. (Location: Swaledale, Yorkshire).

Ard Moores - Large event that covers both Enduro and Sprint Riding - both MTB/EMTB. (Location: Lordstones Country Park, North Yorkshire).

Welsh Enduro Series - Enduro focused races for full info click here. (Location is updated every race).

Bolly Skyline - Enduro (Location: Bollington Cheshire), (entries open - event date: August 8th to 10th, 2025).

Malvernes Classic - Large event encompassing a broad range of mountain bike categories from down-hill to dirt jump bikes. (Location: Deer Park, Eastnor, Ledbury, HR8 1EN) (Date: Thursday 21st to Monday 25th of August 2025).

Top picks for International races

Enduro2 Enduro focused event (Location: Meribel (France) | Verbier (Switzerland). - The event is based around a 3-Day, Pairs-format event (in teams of two), EMTB's are welcome. FAQ's.

Megavalanch (Location: Alpe d'Huez ski resort in the French Alps) (Enduro event). - The Megavalanch is a mass start, fast paced enduro event whereby riders race from the glacial summit of Pic Blanc and race to the valley bottom at Allemnond over 2600 vertical meters.

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