Events

NMTBC hosts a number of events every year. Some are big and flash attracting the best racers in NZ, like Top Gun and the Mammoth Enduro. Some are all about having fun, like the Mid-Winter 6hr and Mini-MTB series. And some are simply all about  racing your mates to see who’s fastest, like the Spring Super D series and XC series. Whatever you like doing there will be an event just right for you at some point each year.

  • For NMTBC run events see Upcoming Events below
  • The event calendar has upcoming NMTBC events as well as other MTB events. 

Upcoming Events

Codgers/Koata Park Pre-Xmas Working Bee

Codgers/Koata Park Pre-Xmas Working BeeJoin our pre-xmas working bee that will be followed by a BBQ and Fireball Skid Shuttles thanks to @scottish_expressWhen: Sunday 15th December - Meeting at 9amWhere: […]

Cable Bay Junior Enduro

Cable Bay Adventure Park 194 Cable Bay Road, Nelson, New Zealand

Cable Bay Enduro 31st Jan & 1 Feb 2024

Cable Bay Enduro

Cable Bay Enduro 28th Feb - 2nd March 2024

Codgers/Koata Park Pre-Xmas Working Bee

Codgers/Koata Park Pre-Xmas Working BeeJoin our pre-xmas working bee that will be followed by a BBQ and Fireball Skid Shuttles thanks to @scottish_expressWhen: Sunday 15th December - Meeting at 9amWhere: […]

Cable Bay Junior Enduro

Cable Bay Adventure Park 194 Cable Bay Road, Nelson, New Zealand

Cable Bay Enduro 31st Jan & 1 Feb 2024

Cable Bay Enduro

Cable Bay Enduro 28th Feb - 2nd March 2024

event Calendar

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about our events

All of Nelson Mountain Bike Club’s events and series are organised and run by dedicated Volunteers in their own free time. These people are local heroes who often put the wellbeing of the Club before their own. If you would like to become an event volunteer to support the club and the aforementioned local heroes (or become one yourself!), please take a look at the “Volunteer” tab below. 

Downhill (DH) mountain bike racing is a format of racing that pushes rider skill and fitness to the limits. It takes place on fast, steep, technical, rough tracks. Riders take it in turns to see who can get from start to finish the fastest. Riders will normally get to walk the track prior to the race, then have a limited opportunity for practice runs before seeding and racing. Seeding is a single run that determines the race run order. The benefit of being first in seeding is that you get to race last, and therefore often know what time you need to beat in your race run.

NMTBC’s Winter DH Series is focused on fun and friendly competition. We encourage new riders to DH racing through this series but will also often see some of the fastest riders in NZ competing in our events.
(Note that there is normally a certain amount of compulsory protective wear required to enter these races).

Enduro racing is exactly how it sounds: all about endurance. Races can be single day or multi-day events, which consist of multiple timed descents (stages) with challenging climbs (liaisons) in between. The format was created to replicate a fun day riding with friends, where you can chill and chat on the climbs, and race each other down the trails!


Our enduro races vary in intensity and technicality, with intermediate enduros being anywhere from 15km long with 600m climbing, up to advanced races being 30+ kilometres with 2000+m climbing per day, replicated over multiple days. The trails being raced depend on the level of race and can be anywhere from grade 3 to grade 6.


The winner at the end of the event is the rider who has the fastest combined time over all stages, although winning a single stage or two out of the whole race can also be a real achievement!

(Note that there is normally a certain amount of compulsory protective wear required to enter these races).

Cross Country (XC) racing is a challenging and fun format that requires mental fortitude, technical riding prowess and fitness! XC is a set number of laps of a course, which can include roads, trails, gravel, uphill, downhill and more! The first person to finish the required number of laps wins!

A mass start sees everyone set off at the same time, fighting to get prime position for the gruelling effort to come. Strategy is king in this kind of race!


Nelson XC is built around fun, challenge, and encouraging riders of all ages and disciplines to give it a go. There will normally be an easy course and a more challenging course on the menu to ensure all abilities are catered for. It is pretty fun trying to cut off your friends or pip them at the finish line!

Similar to XC, Cyclocross (CX) sees riders completing laps of a mixed terrain/obstacle course. There is a time limit usually between 40 minutes to an hour, and the person to complete the most laps in that time is the winner! Obstacles can include trails, roads, paddocks, fences, trees, horse jumps, steps, whatever else the organiser can think of! And yes, you must take your bike with you through and over all of these things! Fancy dress is often donned, and kids races are commonly a part of the Nelson CX scene.

This is also a fantastic spectator sport because most of the course can be visible from the start/finish line, and there are always thrills and spills to entertain.

The Super D Series is a NMTBC favourite. Up to six races on different dates, up to six different trails, cheap as chips to enter, race doesn’t take all day, and is accessible to everyone! The idea is to take one lap down the track and try to be the fastest! Riders are self-managed and as long as everyone is at the bottom in time for a feed, all is well! The series culminates in overall winners for those who attend every race; this is a well-coveted prize.


The bottom line of Super D is to get people out and about: whole families, groups of mates, couples who don’t have enough time to ride together…this is for you!

NMTBC social events vary far and wide in terms of format and substance. From casual group rides to movie nights and pub quizzes – look out for more social events through the Events Calendar!

NMTBC Dig Days are mainly social events where a motley crew heads up the trail to tidy up, repair or sometimes build brand new trail! Take your kids, your dog, your guinea pig or whatever! Crank some tunes and rake some dirt. This will earn you trail karma, which is the currency of the mountain bike world.
Check the events calendar for the time and place of our next scheduled dig days.

(Note do not wear grey, everyone will see your sweat).

race archive

You’ll find archived race results from years gone by here. So – when your mate tells you he put 15 seconds into you in the over 40’s, chainless, super XC round 4 in Branford Park two years ago you can check to see if his recollection is right, or if he is just going senile. 

race volunteer

The Nelson Mountain Bike Club is always in dire need of passionate and awesome people to help with events and dig days. These are the people that make the Club go round and help the progression of mountain biking as a sport in Nelson.

If you would like to volunteer in any capacity with the club for events or anything else, please fill in the below form and you will be added to our volunteer list! We will contact you before events to see if you are available and keen to help.

If there is a specific event you would like to help with, please let us know in the comments on your sign-up form!

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Skills/Roles you are interested in
Health & Safety Officer
Trail Maintenance