If you have been watching the Hard MTB League from the outside and thinking, “man, I could ride that,” then this is it. Today and tomorrow you can apply for the 2026 Hard MTB League. The first time the invitation-only concept has opened its doors to the public.
Applications close Jan. 1, 2026, with successful riders earning a shot at the qualifier events and race weeks in Boise, Idaho. The league will select athletes for training and race weeks in Boise running May 20–23 and again Oct. 21–24.
What the Hard MTB League actually is
The Hard MTB League was never meant to be another race series. The goal is to take what is ordinary in trail riding and push it to the absolute edge, creating a format that tests both rider skill and the real-world limits of modern mountain bikes.
The league combines four timed elements: tech climbing, raw slalom, tech trail and downhill gnar. All ridden on a single bike. No swaps. No specialization. Just one setup and everything thrown at it.
The combined times crown the most complete all-round mountain biker, not the fastest specialist.
Built in a shed, refined in the dirt
The concept started where most good mountain bike ideas do: in a bike park shed with a sketch, a shop towel and a question.
From that sketch grew a compact, spectator-friendly course packed with steep climbs, off-camber slalom turns, oversized rollers, 12-foot drops and berms that reward speed, commitment and creativity.
“We didn’t want an obstacle course,” the builders said during early testing. “We wanted something that makes riders stop at the top and say, ‘Okay… this is serious.’”
Who they are looking for
This is not a lottery. The application makes that clear.
Athletes are asked why they want to race, how they describe themselves as riders and how they contribute to their riding communities on and off the bike. Media experience matters. References matter. Sponsors matter.
A gap the sport has been missing
As mountain biking evolves, the Hard MTB League is trying to fill a space between trail riding, bike park laps and traditional racing. It is technical without being gimmicky. Difficult without being exclusive.
The long-term vision includes multiple stops and international expansion. But first comes Boise. And first comes selection.
The clock is ticking
If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. Applications close tomorrow. After that, the door shuts and the committee gets to work.