The elite women’s race at Canadian nationals was long, by XCO standards. Well over the usual 90 minute mark. That made Emilly Johnston’s early attack, going on just the second lap to escape solo, about as long-range move as you can get in XCO racing.

Even before the attack, Johnston and Wilier-Vittoria’s Ella MacPhee, already the winner of Thursday’s XCC national title, had rolled off the front of the elite women’s field. Instead of waiting to see how the race would unfold, Johnston decided to go out on her own.

Johnston with MacPhee on her wheel early in the second lap of Saturday’s race.

“Ella and I kinda went off the front on the first lap. I found I could get a bit of a gap on the descents, so I went, then recovered a few times. Then I launched a big attack on the second lap and that was the race,” Johnston said after the race, adding she wasn’t too concerned about her attack being too early. “If there was any doubt, it was the lap after I went. But I just stuck to my pacing strategy. I knew it was my plan, so I stuck to it.”

The strategy paid off. Johnston continued to extend her lead all race, rolling home solo to win the 2026 elite women’d XCO national championships. It’s the Scott-SRAM racer’s first elite national title. After spending time in the maple leaf kit as a junior and under-23, the Vancouver Island racer is looking forward to being back in red and white for the next 12 months.

“I’m super proud to be able to wear the maple leaf. It’s a beautiful kit, in my opinion,” Johnston said, adding that it will also match the marbled gloss white and RockShox red on her team-issue Spark. “Hopefully I’ll be able to represent it well!”

Johnson on the front of a rainy XCC race earlier in the nationals weekend.

The win comes after a rough start to the year. A planned off-season of training in New Zealand was cut short just days into 2026, when a crash resulted in a broken elbow. Johnston says that made Saturday’s win feel like a bit more than a national championship title.

“It was nice to just be able to feel like I got the most out of myself on the day,” the Comox racer said. “I feel like I’ve been struggling to put together a clean race. I’ve had some mechanical issues and, coming back from an injury this winter, there’s some headspace difficulty as well. So this feels really good.”

With the World Cup taking an extended break until world championships at the end of August, it sends the Canadian into training through the break on a positive note. Before getting back on the bike, the

Emilly Johnston wins 2026 Canadian XCO championships in front of a very supportive family.

“First, my mom and I are going fishing in Telegraph Cove. We’re going to catch some absolute hogs,” Johnston says with a laugh. “Then I’m taking a couple days to hang out with friends before building into a solid training block. I’m throwing in some heat training, which I’ve never done before and I’m excited about.”

The win in Langford also adds to an increasingly successful season for the Scott-SRAM squad. Following the retirement (sort of) of Nino Schurter young U.S. racer Bjorn Riley has emerged for the pack to claim his first elite World Cup wins this season. Johnston says being part of such an iconic program is still thrilling, in her second year with the team.

“It’s always a dream. It’s super motivating to be able to see one of my best friends winning World Cups. I’m super happy for him and happy for the team.”