Kelso Mountain Bike Race Series is BACK for 2024!
Come conquer the trails with us at the Kelso Mountain Bike Race Series starting in May! The Mountain Bike Race Series Open House and plate pick-up will be held at Kelso Conservation Area on May 7, 2024 from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Riders will get an opportunity to check out the first course, beat the line up for plate pick-up at the first race, and meet some of the team that runs the race series!
The 2024 season will begin May 14, 2024 with the last race on August 20, 2024 before the finale on August 27, 2024. With twelve races in total, some of the best climbs in southern Ontario, and multiple distances/categories, the race series is a great addition to training programs and a fun way to challenge yourself to achieve a personal best.
Rates & Dates
2024 Rates
Become a Conservation Halton member and save! Click here Renewal discounts are also available for current members. Please contact Visitor Services for more details at visitorservices@hrca.on.ca or 905-878-5011.
Sign-up for all 12 Races and the Finale Night at one amazing price point, plus get a race series t-shirt!
Race Series – Novice, Sport, Expert (All Weeks)
Member:
$185 +HST (until May 25)
$222 +HST (starting May 26)
Non-Member
$275 +HST (until May 25)
$330 +HST (starting May 26)
Beginner Series (All Weeks)
Member:
$85 +HST (until May 25)
$102 +HST (starting May 26)
Non-Member
$135 +HST (until May 25)
$162 +HST (starting May 26)
Single Event – Race Entry and Park Access
Single event entry and single day park access. Please note single event riders will NOT be included in season end standings, even if you race multiple events.
Member:
$33 +HST
Non-Member
$38 + HST (Does not include gate fee – pay in advance here or at gate on day of race)
Kids Race Series (All Weeks)
Member
$60 +HST
Non-Member
$60 +HST (Does not include gate fee – pay in advance here or at gate on day of race)
2024 Nightly Schedule
| Temps | Activity | Localisation |
| 5:30 pm – 6:30pm | Sign-in and Plate Pick-up (no registration at this time) |
West Lodge |
| 6:40 pm | Kids and Beginner Race Start | West of the Patrol Building |
| 6:45 pm – 7:00 pm | Race Start (waves) | Base of Updraft Chair |
| 8:00 pm (approx.) | Draw Prizes | West Lodge Patio |
Racer safety and trail health are of top priorities for the Mardi Night Race Series at Kelso. Our races run so long as we can operate with confidence that these priorities can be supported that evening based on trail conditions and weather.
Knowing our rider community gets excited about racing, we made some big changes for 2024 and increased the number of races throughout the season.
Our Mardi Night Race Series will consist of twelve races over four heats.
Each heat will be comprised of three race nights followed by a Make-up (Flex) Night. Should we be able to run all three races in a heat, the Make-up (Flex) Night will serve as a break for riders from racing and no formal race will be held that evening.
However, if conditions are unsafe for a race the Make-up (Flex) Night of that heat will serve as a make-up race date and a race will be held on that date.
| MTB Race Dates: | Registration Night: | 07-May | |||
| Heat 1 | Race 1 | 14-May | Heat 3 | Race 7 | 09-Jul |
| Race 2 | 21-May | Race 8 | 16-Jul | ||
| Race 3 | 28-May | Race 9 | 23-Jul | ||
| Flex 1 | 04-Jun | Flex 3 | 30-Jul | ||
| Heat 2 | Race 4 | 11-Jun | Heat 4 | Race 10 | 06-Aug |
| Race 5 | 18-Jun | Race 11 | 13-Aug | ||
| Race 6 | 25-Jun | Race 12 | 20-Aug | ||
| Flex 2 | 02-Jul | Finale | 27-Aug | ||
Race Category Selection
Kelso MTB Series Race Category Selection
Kelso is proud of its race series and wants to ensure you get the best experience possible. Each of our race categories are listed below to assist you in selecting the appropriate category.
Our recommendation is to select the category that best suits your current endurance and skill level. Moving up is possible. We have provided some guiding factors to assist. Moving down can be done, but should be avoided. Riders moving down in category have often selected the wrong category initially, or have moved up too soon. Ideally you are choosing a category that you feel you can ride competitively in.
New for 2024 is an additional race category; Intermediate. Intermediate will sit between Sport and Novice in terms of difficulty and complete 2 laps of the Novice Course.
Sign up for the series (twelve races + finale event) and have access to as many races as you want, or sign up for individual races whenever you are available. We encourage everyone to sign up for the series as it’s such a great value and it makes signing in each week so much easier.
REMINDER: Single racer registration closes the night before each race.
The kids race uses a closed circuit. Riders will complete as many laps as possible within 20 minutes. As a Kids Racer your goal should be to have fun and develop your ability to complete more laps in the same amount of time. As you improve, you can add to the challenge by riding over some of the features on course during your laps.
Moving Up?
Are you finishing in the top 5 – 6 riders every week? Can you ride every feature comfortably?
If you have a 20” tire and answered yes to the previous questions, you can consider moving to Beginner.
The Beginner’s Course is a closed circuit. Riders will complete as many laps as possible in 30 minutes. The course is longer, and considerably more challenging than the Kids Course. Your goal should be to have fun and hone your skills. Work towards completing more laps each week; and as your confidence grows, challenge yourself to ride each of the features on course.
Moving Up?
Riders considering the move to Novice should be finishing in the top 5 – 6 for lap counts and riding all features on the Beginner course with confidence. A full lap of the Novice course will include 3-4X as much uphill climbing, and a full descent from top to bottom. The novice category will involve being passed by more advanced riders on a shared course at high speeds.
The Novice Course shares laps with both Sport and Expert Riders. Novice riders will complete 1 lap of the full course at roughly 6 – 8 km. Novice riders will occasionally have designated routes that will remove technical portions of the course. Novice riders should be comfortable being passed by other riders. It is necessary that Novice Riders be able to complete a lap without a chaperone.
Moving up?
Riders considering a move to Sport should be finishing in the top 10 fastest for the novice category. A move to sport will double the length of the ride and will remove all Novice course modifications. Riding the full course on a non-race night is recommended. Riders moving up should be able to ride most features on course without dismounting.
The intermediate category will complete two laps of the Novice course, roughly 12 to 16 km total. An intermediate rider should have the ability to tackle harder blues and easier blacks, while having the endurance to complete the two laps. Intermediate riders should also have the ability to overtake slower riders safely, with proper notification and a pass that does not impede the other rider.
Moving up?
Riders considering a move to the Sport category should be finishing in the Top 10 of the Novice category. A move to Sport will be roughly the same distance, but will involve much more challenging terrain. Riding the full course on a non-race night is highly recommended.
The Sport Course shares laps with both Novice and Expert Riders. Sport Riders will complete 2 laps of the full course at roughly 12 – 18 km total. A sport rider should have the endurance to ride 2 full laps, and the skill to handle riding most of the technical features they encounter on the trail at speed without dismounting. Sport riders should also have the capability to overtake a slower rider safely with a proper notification and a pass that does not impede the other rider.
Moving Up?
Riders considering a move to Expert should be finishing in the top 15 fastest for the Sport category. A move to Expert will require 3 full laps. Expert riders require considerably more endurance and should be able to ride all technical portions of the course without dismount.
The Expert Course shares laps with both Novice and Sport riders. Expert riders will complete 3 laps of the full course at roughly 18 – 25 km total. An Expert rider should have endurance for 3 full laps in under 1 hr and 20 min. It is recommended that riders uncertain of this category ride the course on a non-race night to test their times and confidence. Expert racers should possess the capability to overtake a slower rider safely with a proper notification and a pass that does not impede the other rider.
MTB Race Series FAQ
Kelso MTB Series kicks off with the first race on May 14, 2023 and runs every Mardi until the last race on August 20, 2024. The finale will be held on August 27, 2024.
We offer 5 categories to choose from:
Kids Race – A dedicated short track that targets young riders. The course is exceptionally easy, rideable on run-bikes and nearly every other options. Parental assistance is encouraged if needed and the focus is on fun and accomplishment.
Beginner Race – A dedicated short track that is built for newer riders that want to build some skill and participate in a race environment. We recommend a minimum of a 20″ wheel as well as a handlebar controlled front, and rear brakes.
Novice – 1 lap of our full course. This is a great category for younger riders, or riders with less stamina or ability. You will ride with the sport and expert riders, but you will have your own separate start. The single lap makes this an easier full race option. Keep an eye out for the Novice Race Cut-offs on course!
Intermediate – 2 laps of our Novice course. This is a great category for riders who have stronger endurance, but aren’t quite at the skill level of the sport riders. You will be on course with all the riders but have your own start time. Keep an eye out for the novice and intermediate cut off signs!
Sport – 2 laps of our full course. This is typically our largest categories with a wide age and ability range. You should have the ability to manage 2 laps of the course without depleting your energy level to exhaustion. 2 laps may take you 45 min to an hour and 20 min. Sport riders should be more confident riding at faster speeds and comfortable with the 12 to 16 km (approx.) in length.
Expert – 3 laps of our full course. This is our most advanced category. Most riders in this pack have previous race experience, and can ride laps at reasonable speed with relative ease. Riders should be comfortable riding the longer distances at greater speeds. Expert riders will typically finish between 45 minutes and 1 hour.
Your ability will heavily dictate your race experience. Each ability category is based on a distance or # of laps… following that, your speed will dictate how long you will ride for.
- Kids Lap = approx. 250m, ride as many laps as you can in 20 minutes
- Beginner Race = 1.5 – 2 km, ride how ever many laps you can in 20 minutes
- Novice Race = 1 lap of full course (usually 6 to 8 km) at a race pace
- Intermediate = 2 laps of full course (roughly 12-16km) at race pace
- Sport Race = 2 laps of full course (12 to 16 km) at a race pace
- Expert Race = 3 laps of full course (18 to 24km) at a race pace
As a general rule, our fastest riders can complete a full lap in roughly 18 to 20 min. While some of the more entry level riders will ride that loop in 35+ minutes.
You will select which category you want to ride in when you register. This should ideally be the category you wish to race in for the season. As a series rider you will earn points every time you race, these points are calculated based on the category you are in. If you wish to move UP a category (Sport to Expert for example) you will take your points with you and then begin to earn points within your new category. If you drop DOWN a category, we will need to wipe all your accumulated points to zero. We strongly recommend selecting 1 category and sticking with it for the season; focus on improving your times at that distance and then add laps in future years!
*In rare circumstance we will strongly “suggest” that a rider move up or down a category if there are safety or fair play concerns.
We have been proud to offer a FREE option for our newest riders for several years now and continue to do so in 2023! Kids wishing to come and try their hand on the kids loop are still welcome to come and do so for FREE. Those wishing to join us for the whole season, have their laps tracked and receive a draw ticket each week for some amazing prizes are now asked to pay a fee of $60 to cover some basic costs. If you wish to race for Free, please come out to the start line and keep pace with the other riders! We won’t track your laps, but the focus is on having fun! If you decide you want to compete, you can always sign up in future weeks! You may sample the race as often as you would like.
Uh oh! Such is life… this does happen. If you happen to forget your race plate, we will replace it for you for a fee. Each replacement chip/plate is $10. Come see us at the Visitor Service desk on race night and we can re-issue you a plate.
Our race season runs for the weeks scheduled.
We will only cancel a race if the trails are:
- Too wet, muddy, or covered in water to ride safely
- There is active thunder or lightning at the start of the race.
- There is what we feel to be a relatively certain chance that it will be raining, up to or during the start of the race. i.e. If it is starting to rain at 3:00 pm, and the radar shows imminent storms for the area through the evening, and the forecast indicates the same or worse weather, we will cancel proactively.
New for 2024 – we have introduced our race series as through 4 heats with a make-up Flex evening in each. As an example, if race #1-3 were to be cancelled, the Flex Date for the first heat (June 3) would serve as a formal race counted towards end of series point totals. If all races 1-3 ran as planned, the Flex Date would be a break from racing with no formal race on that evening. Check the schedule above for the most up to date information on Race Schedule.
This page is your best and most frequently updated resource and will be updated whenever decisions on race cancellations are made. For more info, follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow us on social media (@ConservationHalton) and we will provide updates on races through the day. We will also post final decisions to our website, but will only do this once a decision is final. Race cancellations are made with our best available detail / forecasts by 4:30 p.m. on race days. We would only cancel a race after 4:30 p.m. for emergency reasons such as an un-forecasted thunderstorm.
All Full Series Riders who register before Week #3 will receive a Race T-Shirt. We will issue these mid-season (early August). Wear them with pride!
Yep! The series is priced so that even if you miss a few races, it’s still cheaper to sign up for the series! It’s also a great way to support your trail network and sponsors!
Kelso Mountain Bike School
The trails are calling your name and there’s no better time to learn than now. Our team of MTB Instructors are here to introduce you to the trails, develop your skills, boost your confidence, guide you on epic rides and help you become the rider you want to be! Program offerings will target new riders, and the seasoned trail user; we will even have programs specifically designed to assist riders with improving their abilities for the Kelso MTB Race Series.
A private lesson is a great way to build your skill and confidence while working one-on-one with an instructor. The individual attention allows each lesson to be completely catered to your skill and experience level. Lessons are two hours in duration. Each session includes instruction, ride time, bike assessment, and maintenance awareness. Those whom wish to add a friend or two can do so easily and build their own small group.
Private lessons are not available on a walk-in basis, so please visit parkvisit.ca to arrange your day and time. Our staff will have a few simple questions for you about your experience and equipment. We are also able to assist you with booking a rental bike.
Gate fees will still apply to MTB lesson participants
Duration:
One session of 2 hours
Availability:
Available through Parkpass Reservations to Kelso Summit
Pricing:
Lessons: $120 Additional Person: $35 per rider Add a Bike Rental: $39.99 **Does not include HST
The MTB School is proud to employ PMBI Pros. All programs are led by certified instructors.