NEWS: The 2024 Gravel and MTB Bike Race and Ride Calendar Spectacular

They’re Baaaaaaack

Yup, bike races are back, and whoa, the 2024 Gravel and MTB Race and Ride Calendar is spectacular. Almost 50 days of races between April and October, 7 weekend bike festivals, 6 different weekly series, and 12 charity rides. Boom.

As far as I can tell, there isn’t a one stop resource for all of the wicked bike stuff in the province, so I’ve been scouring the OCA website, Ontario By Bike, and organizer sites, in order to put it all together. When there’s a gap, you gotta gap it right? Oh, and ‘m not even finished yet because there are races that haven’t been scheduled, and probably a bunch of stuff that just isn’t published.

Btw, I didn’t include a lot of road stuff here, and I haven’t been able to find out what’s happening at Horseshoe, but I think I have a good handle on everything else.

Some Calendar Highlights

  • The NEW Ontario Enduro Series has 8 races
  • Crank the Shield is back
  • Sea Otter is taking a break
  • Substance Projects has three race weekend festivals
  • Superfly is hosting a season finale at Woodnewton
  • All three Epic 8 Hours are back, and the 24 Hour is too
  • The Eastern Ontario School Mountain Bike Challenge (3 races!)

The Calendar

So what am I racing? Um, dunno. I’m in the middle of a little health concern, and I’m having surgery in early March. It’s a 6 week recovery, which brings me to late April, and then I have to see if I can find my legs and lungs (because this health nonsense has been dogging me all winter, and I’ve hardly moved since Christmas). Can I take a stab at P2A? Not sure. Scrappy Badger? Maybe. May O-Cups? Definitely not. Conservatively I’m hoping to be race ready for the Scrappy Badger and the 24 Hour in June. Ugh. Hopefully I’ll at least be able to get out there and cheer you on.

MTB and GRAVEL RACES

MTB AND GRAVEL RACES
APRIL
April 13H2i (Cannondale XCMarathon #1) – Mansfield Outdoor CentreSubstanceProjects
April 27Hardwood Single Track Marathon – Hardwood Ski and BikePulseRacing
April 27Ottawa Valley Gravel Experience (Gravel Cup #1) – CalabogieGravelCup
April 28Paris to Ancaster – HamiltonOCA
MAY
May 4-5OCup #1 – WoodnewtonOCA
May 4Scrappy Badger (Cannondale ON Gravel #1 – BaltimoreSubstanceProjects
May 4Eastern Ontario School MTB Challenge #1 – Limerick Forestmtadventures
May 11Spring Epic 8 Hour Relay – Mansfield Outdoor CentreSuperflyRacing
May 17-19OCup #2/Canada Cup #1- Hardwood Ski and BikePulseRacing
May 26Heck/Hell/Hero of the North – Ballantrae OntarioOCA
JUNE
June 1Eastern Ontario School MTB Challenge #2 – Batawa Ski Hillmtadventures
June 2Tour of Kincardine – KincardineOCA
June 8Women’s 4hr Relay – Hardwood Ski and BikePulseRacing
June 9Screaming Squirrel (Cannondale ON Gravel #2) – MonoSubstanceProjects
June 8A special-not-yet-booked-and-might-not-happen-but might eventSubstanceProjects
June 15Blue Mountain UCI Gravel World Series – Blue MountainOCA
June 15-16OCup #3 – Hiwatha HighlandsOCA
June 15Eastern Ontario School MTB Challenge #3 – MTB Kingstonmtadventures
June 2224 Hours of Summer Solstice – Albion HillsChico Racing
June 29-30OCup #4 – Highlands NordicOCA
JULY
July 5-7Crankworx Summer Series – Horseshoe ResortCrankworx
July 13Hidden Valley Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #1) – HuntsvilleONEnduroSeries
July 13Reggie Ramble – Warkwarth FairgroundsReggie
July 21Highlands Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #2) – CollingwoodONEnduroSeries
July 27Summer Epic 8 Hour – Hardwood Ski and BikePulseRacing
July 28OCup #5 – Mansfield Outdoor CentreOCA
AUGUST
August 4Gnengary Gravel Run (Gravel Cup #2) – MaxbilleGravelCup
August 9-11XCC/XCO Provincials – Area 8 (Kelso Quarry)OCA
Aug 16-18Crank the Shield – Sault Ste. MarieSuperfly Racing
Aug 17Forrest Lea Odyssey Gravel Race – PembrookeFLTA
Aug 18Nine Lives Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #3) – MidlandONEnduroSeries
Aug 24Cannondale Eager Beaver (ON Gravel #3) – Mansfield Outdoor CentreSubstanceProjects
Aug 25Cannondale Eager Beaver (XCMarathon #2) – Mansfield Outdoor CentreSubstanceProjects
Aug 25Cannondale EB Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #4) – Mansfield Ooutdoor CentreSubstanceProjects
SEPTEMBER
Sept 7Back Forty Highlander (Gravel Cup #3) – Mississippi StationGravelCup
Sept 7Canadian Championships XCM – Thunder BayOCA
Sept 7Kingston XCM (Cannondale XCMarathon #3) – MTB KingstonSubstanceProjects
Sept 8Cannondale Kingston Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #4) – MTB KingstonSubstanceProjects
Sept 14/15Hurtin’ in Haliburton – HaliburtonHurtin’
Sept 14Woodnewton Season Finale – UxbridgeSuperflyRacing
Sept 21Fall Epic 8 Hour – Hardwood Ski and BikePulse Racing
Sept 22Ottawa Valley Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #6) – Forrester Trails, PembrookeONEnduroSeries
OTCOBER
Oct 6Ganny Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #7) – MillbrookONEnduroSeries
Oct 19Turkey Point XCM (Cannondale XCMarathon #4) – Turkey PointSubstanceProjects
Oct 20Turkey Poing Enduro (Ontario Enduro Series #8) – Turkey PointSubstanceProjects

WEEKLY SERIES

MTB WEEKLY SERIES RACES
MondayCoulson’s Hill Race Series
TuesdayKelso Weekly MTB Series
TuesdayKing Weekly Series
WednesdayHardwood Wednesday Night Races p/b Trek
WednesdayWoody MTB Race Series

WEEKEND FESTIVALS

June 22-2324 Hours of Summer Solstice
Aug 16-18Crank the Shield – Sault Ste. Marie
Aug 24-45Cannondale Eager Beaver Weekend (MTB, Gravel, Enduro)
Sept 8-9Cannondale Kingston MTB Weekend (MTB, Enduro)
Sept 14-15Hurtin’ in Haliburton
Oct19-20Cannondale Turkey Point Weekend (MTB, Enduro)

CHARITY/ROAD/RIDE-FOR-ALL EVENTS

May 25Jack Ride – Caledon, ON
May 26Villa Charities Giro Cycling Fundraiser – Woodbridge
June 2Mattamy Homes Bike for Brain Health – Toronto
June 9The Big Slow Roll – Sarnia
July 8/9Ride to Conquer Cancer – Toronto/Niagara
June 16Trail Jam Prince Edward County – Picton
June 23Melrose Tour Boondocks – Belleville
July 13The Log Driver’s Waltz Grand Depart – Lanark Highlands
Aug 4Bluewater International Granfondo – Sarnia
Aug 17Dunnville Grand Tour – Dunnville
Aug 24Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour – City of Kawartha Lakes

Ride.

PS
My yearly calendar is a labour of love, and I want to get it right. If there’s a race or ride that I missed, or a mistake on the calendar, please let me know: teamcolinblog@yahoo.com

Published by teamcolinblog

I am a 50 year old father of two. I know, right? Half a century. I work full time, try to parent as much as possible, and I ride as much as I can. These days, it seems I ride gravel more often (an Ibis Hakka), but MTB has my heart, and when I ride a mountain bike, it's usually my Trek single speed (which is currently being warrantied for a broken frame), or my Norco Revolver (with gears). I live in Toronto, Ontario, and when there's a race, I do it. I've always had a bike, but I only started RIDING about ten years ago. Cycling (and writing about it) has changed every aspect of my life. I'm writing this blog because a few good friends suggested I share my cycling journey. I'm not sure where it's going, or who reads it, but I gotta say it's been one heck of a ride.

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