Cancún, Quintana Roo — Parque Cancún is preparing to host its first Olympic Cross Country (XCO) mountain bike race, an event built around a 3.8-kilometer circuit that will draw riders from across the Yucatan Peninsula.
Martín Lombardi, leader and coach of MTBike, is organizing the XCO Parque Cancún and said the competition will take place on Oct. 10 and 11. Registration is capped at 200 participants, a limit intended to keep conditions safe for both the cyclists and the park.
A Longer, More Technical Course
Lombardi explained that the original circuit was shorter, and organizers added roughly two kilometers of new trails to extend the route. The course now includes climbs, descents and technical turns, with an accumulated elevation gain of close to 310 meters for the main race.
Two Days of Racing
The event opens Saturday, Oct. 10, with kit pickup, a children’s race for boys and girls ages 5 to 12, and a time trial.
The Cross Country Olympic race follows on Sunday, Oct. 11, with cyclists competing across different categories. Lombardi said there will be 14 categories for men and women, spanning beginners through Elite, along with several Master divisions.
Registration costs 450 pesos and includes hydration, security, course marking, timing and medical attention.
A Training Ground for Local Riders
The organizer said the circuit will give Cancún cyclists a free space to train and prepare for state and regional competitions.
He added that safety received special attention during construction, noting the land had previously been used as a dump. Organizers cleared the waste and conditioned the route, while taking care to avoid damaging vegetation in the park.
Lombardi also pointed to the growth of the mountain biking community in Cancún, saying the new circuit will help strengthen ties between athletes and visitors. The event will be held under the park’s environmental protection rules, aiming to promote the sport while preserving the surrounding environment.
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