Mountain Bike Race Series

2023 Full MTB Race Series (Best Value)
Novice, Sport, Expert

Member:
$185 +HST (until May 25)
$222 +HST (starting May 26)

Non-Member
$285 +HST  (until May 25)
$342 +HST (starting May 26)

Beginner

Member:
$85 +HST (until May 25)
$102 +HST (starting May 26)

Non-Member
$135 +HST  (until May 25)
$162 +HST (starting May 26)

Sign-up for all 14 events at one amazing price point, plus get a race series t-shirt included in price!

Get your Conservation Halton Membership here!

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

Member:
$33 +HST

Non-Member
$33 + HST (Does not include Gate Fee)

Full Kids Race Series

Member
$60 +HST

Non-Member
$60 +HST (Does not include Gate Fee)

Park Access

You must purchase a day pass at the gatehouse each Tuesday or buy an Annual Membership to the parks (the best deal!)

Get your membership here.

*Renewal discounts available for current pass holders – contact Visitor Services for more details

The Kelso MTB Series kicks off with the first race on May 30th, 2023 and run every Tuesday through August 22nd, 2023.

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!

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.

If you need more help deciding what category best suits your skill level or whether its time to move up,click here.

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
• 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. As an example, if race #4 were to be cancelled, it is simply entered in the record books as if it did not happen and we proceed with Race #5 the following week. There are no make-up races added.

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.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! This is your best and most frequently updated resource. 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 (excluding kids race) who register before Week #3 will receive a Race T-Shirt. We will issue these mid-season. 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!