Downhill racing is a relatively short (3-7 minutes) one-stage race where the trail trends downhill for the majority of the track. You may think of it as having a one-stage enduro race, although you are typically shuttled/take a lift to the top of the race course instead of having to pedal yourself. Racers are sent off individually and while passing can occur, it is less frequent than other kinds of racing due to the shorter race course.
Downhill racing has a higher focus on the details – knowing the course well, selecting the fastest/cleanest lines, shifting at the right times, using technical bike handling skills – compared to cross country and enduro style racing.
Race weekend consists of practice day (Saturday) and race day (Sunday).
By the end of practice, you should be comfortable riding the entire course at speed, including any difficult features. On practice day(s), you will be shuttled to the top of the course and then ride down, working to get as familiar with the course as possible. Walking sections, sessioning challenging features, and repeatedly riding the track are the focus on practice days.
You may not do many entire “top-to-bottom” runs before you race until you’ve worked your way down the track, getting comfortable with any technical features. We recommend a slow top-to-bottom roll-through of the whole course on your first ride down, followed by picking apart the course on your subsequent runs, where you stop to scout lines, ride a challenging section multiple times (being careful not to interfere with riders coming down as you push up the trail), or walk through a section to see details that are hard to pick out while on your bike. Once you feel like you’ve mastered all the technical bits, it’s good to get in several top-to-bottom runs, as that will feel different than stop-and-go run-throughs (i.e., more tiring!). You will repeatedly shuttle to the top of the course and ride down, but you don’t want to wear yourself out the day before the race! So watch your energy levels, hydration, and food intake on practice days.
Race day is Sunday. Usually, you will only ride down the course once on your “race run,” although sometimes there is the option for a practice run on the morning of race day. People are assigned race times and shuttled to the top in a group with their category. At the start line, racers are sent off individually, with time between each racer, and ride their course to the bottom as quickly as possible. Results are immediate.
After the racing concludes, there will be a raffle and podiums. Food will be available at the venue for purchase.
