The cycling body of British Cycling hasn’t always been well-known for its support of mountain biking. But, since we seem to be doing pretty well in cross-country as a nation, it’s started paying the off-road scene a bit more attention. Case in point, 2024 will see the first riders compete for the British national bands in enduro.

>>Check out the best enduro mountain bikes for 2024<<

The Championships will be take place on 17-18th August next year in Ae Forest, Scotland. The event will still be run by the British Enduro Mountain Bike Association (BEMBA) which has run the unofficial National Championships since 2017.

It’s the PMBA run round of the BNES that will play host to the national championships in Scotland

British National Enduro Champs need to know:

• First ever British Cycling sanctioned national champs will take place in Ae Forest, Scotland on 17-18th August 2024
• There will be six stages for riders to tackle
• Medals on offer for both electric and unassisted national champs winners

There will be 16 prizes up for grabs across both ‘open’ and ‘female’ categories

British National Enduro Champs

So it’s the first time riders can win the right to race in the British stripes in enduro racing. Why is this a big deal? Typically, British Cycling has focused on more ‘medal achieving’ cycling disciplines, like track and road. Only recently has it started paying a bit more attention to the dirty side of cycling. In the absence of any governing body for enduro, BEMBA has been running its own unofficial national champs since 2017. This year, it’ll still be running the event and its national series events, but round five in Ae Forest will be sanctioned by British Cycling as the first time riders can win bands and medals.

Jess Stone, who won the BEMBA Enduro national champs and overall series title in 2021 said:

“Finally having an official British Cycling sanctioned event is so exciting. As a rider who’s won an ‘unofficial’ National Enduro Championships, it was a proud moment to wear the GB sleeve at what was my first Enduro World Series round in Tweed Valley.

“I’m so happy that future riders will now be able to have the honour of wearing the sleeve with pride during international level events and inspire the young riders at lower levels. A massive thank you to all who have helped to make this happen.”

The first BC sanctioned national championships will take place in the Ae Forest in Scotland, where PMBA events have been held previously

So, what medals are on offer? There are eight categories, including: Juvenile, Youth, Junior, U21, Senior, M30, V40, and GV50. These categories are available in both ‘Open’ and ‘Female’ categories, so there’s a total of 16 bands on offer. In addition to the unassisted competitions, there will also be medals for E-Enduro races for ages 17+ in both ‘Open’ and ‘Female’ categories.

It’s important to note that you will have to be a BC member to be eligible to become national champion. The British National Champs will take place during round five of the British National Enduro Series (BNES), and this series will continue as normal.

While some may grumble at British Cycling only now getting involved, it does mean that officially crowned national champs can wear their bands in UCI sanctioned Enduro events, like the Enduro World Series.

You can enter the national champs and find more information about them on the PMBA website.

And if you’re after a new ride for the special occasion, why not read our guide to the best enduro mountain bikes.

The full list of the BNES rounds are as follows:

• Round 1: 27/28th April in Laggan, Highland, Scotland
• Round 2: 11/12th May, White Rocks/Machynlleth, Wales
• Round 3: 29/30th June, Isle of Man
• Round 4: 3/4th August, Minehead, Somerset, England
• Round 5: 17/18th August, Ae Forest, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland (National Champs)
• Round 6: 14/15th September, Innerleithen, Scotland