Cycling Ireland has announced plans to host a variety of events either featuring youth categories or designed solely for youth participation. These events encompass road, track, downhill, cross-country and enduro disciplines, and will take place across the island of Ireland.
The youth road season opens with Rás na nÓg hosted by Drogheda Wheelers on the 21st and 22nd of March, featuring three stages. The Ulster Two Day Youth Tour is the next stage race, hosted by Foyle on the 18th and 19th of April.
Bohermeen host their Bohermeen Youth Two Day on the 25th and 26th of April, before the O’Leary Stone Kanturk Two Day on the 2nd and 3rd of May. Carlow RCC host the Carlow Youth Races on May 10th, followed by Dungarvan’s Youth Stage Race on May 24th.
Sliabh Luchra host their 2 Stage 1 Day event a week later, on May 30th. The JJ Kenneally 2 Day Stage race, featuring four stages, rounds out the youth stage racing for 2026, as Newcastlewest CC host on the 4th and 5th of July.
One day road racing opens on the 28th of March when Lucan CC host their annual Lucan Youth Races. Greenmount are set to host the Kilteely GP on April 12th. The John Drumm Cup then takes place on April 19th in Co. Kerry.
The 9th of May will see criterium racing in Limerick city centre for the second year in a row, as Greenmount host adult and youth racing. VC Glendale will play host on June 7th for the Jimmy Watson Road Races.
Rás Naomh Finian will take place in Co. Meath, likely on June 14th, but still to be confirmed. Ards will play host to criterium racing again in 2026, as the Ards Town Centre Criterium takes place on June 17th. Fans of crit racing will then head West for Galway City Centre Criterium on June 20th.
The Stephen Roche GP will feature Youth Racing on June 24th. Greenmount will host another crit, this time at Limerick Race Course, on July 18th. Drogheda Wheelers again host on July 25th with the Peter Bidwell Memorial taking place. Banbridge are down to provisionally host the George Lilley Memorial races on August 9th in Annaclone. The season culminates with the Youth TT, Road Race and Crit National Championships on August 22nd and 23rd in Co. Tyrone, hosted by Square Wheels.
The National Points Series will feature six rounds this year, opening on April 19th in Wicklow hosted by Team WORC. Round 2 is set to take place as part of the Wicklow MTB Fest, hosted by Biking.ie in Ballinastoe over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of May.
Banbridge will host Round 3 on May 24th, with Fermoy hosting Round 4 on June 7th. Rounds 5 and 6 are set for June 21st and 28th, with locations still to be announced.
With a peeled back calendar this year, the Biking Blitz series will see a later start of April 26th being the first round, in the Slieve Blooms. More dates are set to be added later in the year.
Cycling Ulster will again host their Spring Series, with rounds on March 8th and 29th. Da Cooley Thriller in Co. Louth will feature an U16 Category on August 22nd. This year’s National Championships will be hosted by Clonmel MTB on July 19th.
As the GAP Winter League winds down, Downhill riders will move the IDMS for the remainder of 2026, with all rounds featuring youth categories alongside senior. Round 1 in Carrick takes place on April 19th. Round 2 will make up part of the Wicklow MTB Festival, hosted by Biking.ie in Ballinastoe on May 10th.
Co. Laois will take centre stage for the first time in several years as Round 3 takes place in Cullahill on June 7th. Bree MTB will host Round 4 in Wexford on July 12th. Bree MTB will host again on August 23rd with Round 5, before the series finale in the GAP on September 20th. National Championships will return to Ballyhoura in 2026 on July 26th.
Grassroots Enduro Series will feature youth categories. Round 1 heads to Killaloe on April 26th. Bree will host for Round 2 on May 24th before the newest venue on the calendar, Djouce, on July 5th. Round 4 will take place in Killavullen, Co. Cork on September 6th before the series finale in Galway on October 4th.
The Wicklow MTB Festival will also feature an Enduro event, with three categories again based on rider experience, taking place in Ballinastoe on May 9th. Enduro National Champs will this year take place in Killaloe on August 9th.
BMX National Championships will take place in Cork this year on July 4th and 5th. Dates for the 2026 BMX National Series have not yet been announced, but will be in due course.
2026 will see the return of Kanturk as a venue for Track Racing, beginning with the Youth National Championships, provisionally set for August 8th. The season will open on April 18th with the Duane Delaney Track GP featuring an U16 category in at Sundrive in Dublin. The Sundrive Spring League will take place on April 22nd and 29th, May 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th, and June 7th, 10th and 17th. June 13th will see a Youth Omnium at Sundrive. The Sundrive Summer League will then kick off on July 1st, with subsequent rounds on July 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, August 3rd, 5th, 12th and 19th. Leinster Track Championships will also be held in Sundrive on September 19th.
The full calendar will be published on the Cycling Ireland website once all dates are confirmed.
