This weekend, the fastest mountain bikers from across the globe line up in Midway, Utah, for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. Taking place at Soldier Hollow from September 19–20, it’s one of only two U.S. stops on this year's World Cup calendar and the first year of a three-year agreement for the legendary Olympic venue.

While the race results will be the front page news, a story also worth telling started seven weeks ago when a group of brands, retailers, athletes, and local riders decided a good course wasn't good enough.

Leveling Up Soldier Hollow

Soldier Hollow earned this race. The venue team spent months building a course that met UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery requirements, then stress-tested it at SoHo Bike Fest, a national-level event that helped bed in the track. Olympic silver medalist Haley Batten — who grew up twenty minutes away from Soldier Hollow — rode it repeatedly during her break from the World Cup tour.

Athlete feedback pointed to a handful of specific sections that could be sharper: better racing for the field, better sightlines and drama for the crowd. The fix was straightforward, but the timeline was not. Roughly $60,000–$70,000 in trail work was required seven weeks before the world showed up, and trail crews needed firm commitments before they could pick up their tools.

The Industry Answered the Call

There was no committee and no campaign. Five people who normally occupy very different corners of the bicycling world put their names on a letter and sent it to everyone they knew. Haley Batten, the Olympic silver medalist whose home trails were at stake. Hap Seliga, president and CEO of Scott USA. Luke Bodensteiner, the general manager at Soldier Hollow, who had the venue and the deadline. Eric Porter, Canyon athlete and one of the most recognizable faces in Utah mountain biking. And Jay Burke, founder of an iconic Park City bike race, who knows every junior program within a hundred miles.

An athlete, a brand executive, a venue operator, a local legend, and a youth racing organizer. Between them, they could reach almost anyone in American cycling, and they did so in a matter of days.

Scott USA, Giant, Canyon, Specialized, ENVE, SRAM, Contender, Woodward, The Bike Shoppe (Ogden), USA Cycling, PeopleForBikes, Jenson USA, and Backcountry all stepped in alongside individual local donors, with funds routed through the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. The funding gap was closed, and the crews went to work.

"We are stoked to share that with your quick action and commitment, we did it. We raised the funds needed to make all the improvements to the Soldier Hollow MTB World Cup track. Haley Batten and other athletes are back in the U.S. after the last couple rounds of World Cup action, and after riding the improved course the feedback has been pure enthusiasm. This project will help ensure we have exciting racing for the athletes and a stellar event for the fans, taking a huge first step toward making this a legacy event for Utah and the United States,” said Seliga.

At PeopleForBikes, we always talk about leaving a legacy of bicycling. This is more than a weekend upgrade. It’s an investment in a permanent piece of American mountain bike infrastructure — a World Cup–caliber training ground on par with the European venues where our athletes have historically had to travel to hone their craft.

A Conversation with Haley Batten

I caught up with Haley a few days out from her first home World Cup. She's represented the United States at the elite level since 2021 and took silver at the Paris Olympics in 2024. This weekend, she races in front of the people who put her on a bike in the first place.

What is it like to be racing a World Cup in your backyard?

"I'm still processing it. It's been a dream — I never thought that would happen in my racing career. It's surreal. We live overseas, racing our bikes, and now we're bringing the very best here to see my home, to show off the place where I grew up. My friends and family will be there. My dad and I used to ride together so much. A lot of my extended family don't really understand what I actually do. I think this will explain it in a way they can finally see the magnitude of."

The course improvements happened because the cycling community rallied around it. What does that kind of support mean to you as an athlete?

"Aside from Lake Placid, I don't think anyone has built a world-class race like this here. The way people jumped in is so heartwarming. Cycling has given me a career, and I want to highlight that. All the brands coming together to support it is really special. We believe U.S. mountain biking is the best the world has to offer — from Park City to Heber to Moab to St. George. Heck yeah, we want people to see what it's like to be part of that."

Hap mentioned Soldier Hollow could become a training ground heading into the 2028 LA Olympics. What would it mean to see the next generation of American riders come up through this course?

"Throughout my career, the World Cup was always so far away. This is closing that gap. Our NICA teams can see themselves in it because of this event. It injects more energy into the whole system. We're leaving something behind with this course for generations to enjoy — whether that's becoming the best in the world or just the best version of themselves.”

"And if competing isn't your goal, I hope you just ride your bike because it's fun and it's good for you. There are so many benefits. I hope you can ride a bike to school, go on family rides, ride to the grocery store."

You’re five days out from lining up against the world's best. How are you feeling?

"I feel the energy building. I need to stay relaxed. It's a big goal — and not just my own performance. Beyond that, it's about showing my support for everyone who enabled me to be here."

Why This Matters Beyond the Weekend

Racing at this level does something that's hard to measure but easy to feel: it turns people watching into people riding. Someone drives over on Sunday, stands in the crowd for two hours, then goes home and pulls a dusty bike out of the garage. A kid on that hillside Sunday afternoon will likely show up to a NICA practice in the spring — and might still be riding fifty years from now. That happens when elite-level racing is close enough to reach.

What happened at Soldier Hollow is a compact case study in how our industry succeeds when it works together. A clear problem. A specific number. A short deadline. Competitors writing checks toward the same goal because a better course serves everyone.

You Don't Need to Know Anything About Bike Racing to Love This

Here's the part I want to say directly to anyone in Utah who has never watched a bike race in their life.

Come anyway. This is one of the rare sporting events where you don't need to understand the rules, the standings, or a single rider's name to have a great day. You will stand on a hillside in the Wasatch in September. Riders will come past you close enough that you can hear them breathing and hear their tires skip across the rocks. Then they'll come past again. And again. That's the whole format — a lap course, over and over, the gaps opening and closing in front of you in real time.

Bring your kids — it's built as a family day. Bring a cowbell if you own one. Yell at strangers in spandex. Experience the magic of World Cup racing on U.S. soil.

This weekend matters to us at PeopleForBikes not because a few hundred people are racing, but because of what Haley said: if competing isn't your goal, I hope you just ride your bike because it's fun and good for you. Ride to school. Ride with your family. Ride to the grocery store. World Cup weekend is the loudest possible argument for something very simple.

The Details

When: Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026

Where: Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, 2002 S. Olympic Dr., Midway, UT — about 50 miles from Salt Lake City and 20 minutes from Park City

Saturday: Short Track. Fast, loud, and under 30 minutes per race. The best introduction to the sport there is. U23 women and men race in the late morning, elite women go at 1:00 p.m., and elite men at 1:50 p.m.

Sunday: Cross-Country Olympic. The main event and the full distance. U23 women at 9:00 a.m., elite women at 1:30 p.m., elite men at 3:30 p.m. If you can only come for one thing, come Sunday afternoon.

All times Mountain. Broadcast, volunteer, and lodging information is available at ucimtbworldseries.com.

If you're in the industry and you helped make this happen: go stand on the hill Sunday afternoon and watch what you helped make possible.

If you're everyone else: a World Cup is coming to Utah, the community built the course it deserved, and the gates are open.

See you at Soldier Hollow.