WORLD’S BEST MOUNTAIN BIKERS TO COMPETE ON UTAH’S OLYMPIC TRAILS
FOR WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES
Soldier Hollow in Heber Valley, Utah hosts elite international cross-country competition
September 19 – 20, 2026
HEBER VALLEY, UTAH (September 2, 2026)—Some of the world’s most celebrated and skilled mountain bikers will compete in Heber Valley, Utah, on September 19–20, 2026. Soldier Hollow will be the host site for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series presented by Scott Sports, bringing elite international cross-country mountain bike racing to one of Utah’s most storied Olympic venues.
The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series brings together four UCI World Cup disciplines, Olympic cross-country (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC), downhill (DHI) and enduro (EDR), across 14 race weekends in nine countries and three continents from May through October. The Soldier Hollow event is the penultimate North American stop of the series and will feature both UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup competitions. This venue is one of only three North American stops on the 2026 calendar.
For Heber Valley, the event represents a convergence of Utah’s Olympic legacy and its growing reputation as a destination for high-level outdoor sports.
“Hosting the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at Soldier Hollow is a tremendous opportunity for Heber Valley to welcome athletes, teams, fans and media from around the world,” said Dallin Koecher, Executive Director of the Heber Valley Tourism, Chamber, and Economic Development office. “We are proud to be part of an event that brings this level of world-class sport to Utah and introduces more people to the exceptional outdoor recreation, hospitality, and experiences found here.”
Olympic Venue, World-Class Competition
Soldier Hollow was one of three primary venues for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, hosting cross-country skiing and biathlon, and continues to serve as an international competition and training venue year-round. The Soldier Hollow mountain bike course will challenge athletes with the combination of climbing, technical terrain, and high-speed sections that define elite XCO racing. The Olympic cross-country discipline is a mass-start, multi-lap race that typically lasts approximately 80 to 90 minutes for elite competitors. XCC offers a shorter, faster format, with elite races generally lasting 20 to 25 minutes.
The event follows Soldier Hollow’s successful hosting of the 2024 Pan American Mountain Bike Championships, further establishing the venue as a destination capable of hosting top-level international mountain bike competition. The 2026 event is particularly significant for American cycling fans. Soldier Hollow is the home training ground of Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist Haley Batten, a Park City native and one of the leading American athletes in cross-country mountain biking.
A Global Series Comes To Utah
The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series began in South Korea in May, spanning Europe and Asia, then moving to North America for its final three rounds. Following Soldier Hollow, the series heads to Whistler Mountain Bike Park in British Columbia for downhill competitions before concluding at the Lake Placid Olympic Sites in New York, where XCO, XCC, and downhill World Cup champions will be determined.
The series represents the highest level of international mountain bike competition, with athletes competing throughout the season for UCI World Cup titles in their respective disciplines. The 2026 series includes nine rounds of XCO and XCC competition and six rounds of enduro. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes place September 19 – 20, 2026, at the Soldier Hollow Sport Discovery Center in Midway, Utah. Additional event and spectator information is available through the official event organizers and the link provided here. Information about Soldier Hollow is available here.
