What are the rules for mountain bike marathons and multi-day stage races?
A · Advanced · The other cross-country formats · 1 of 4A marathon is one long cross-country race of 60 to 160 kilometres, on a single loop or at most three laps. A stage race strings cross-country races together over four to nine days with one stage a day. The winner is the rider with the lowest total time.
How it works
- Marathon distance: at least 60 kilometres and at most 160.
- Laps: a single lap or up to three. A single lap may not cover any section twice.
- Distance signs: every ten kilometres, showing the distance remaining.
- The start: a single group for each of the men's and women's races, with a gap between the two.
- Support: at least three feed and technical assistance zones, a lead motorbike and a sweep motorbike.
- Who can ride: riders aged 19 or over, including masters.
- Stage race length: "at least four days, with a maximum of nine days", with one stage a day.
- The stages: any cross-country format except the eliminator. At least one stage must be of marathon length.
- Staying in: a rider must complete each stage to start the next.
- General classification: each rider's total time over all the stages. Time bonuses and penalties count.
- Ties: fractions of a second from the time trials are added back. Then the places in each stage are added up, and last of all the place in the final stage decides.
- Teams: between two and six riders.
The glossary has the stage race, the general classification, cross-country and the feed and technical assistance zone.
Tricky cases
Can a marathon be ten laps of a short circuit?
No. A marathon is a single lap or at most three.
A rider fails to finish stage three. Can they start stage four?
No. A rider must complete each stage to be eligible for the next.
In a stage race ridden in pairs, whose time counts?
It depends on the event's own rules. For a team time trial the regulations take the time of the second rider. Pairs events such as the Cape Epic are mentioned only for how ranking points are shared.
Is there a points or mountains prize, as in road racing?
It depends on the organiser. Only the men's and women's general classifications on time are compulsory. The others are optional.
Why the rule exists
Marathons test endurance and self-reliance over distances that a lapped circuit cannot give. The limits on length and on days keep events comparable and riders safe, and deciding a stage race on total time means a bad day costs exactly what was lost on it.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Marathon | 60 to 160 km, three zones or more, a sweep bike | UCI 4.2.004; UCI 4.2.036; UCI 4.2.059 |
| Stage race | Four to nine days, total time | UCI 4.2.071; UCI 4.2.074 |
| Point-to-point and time trial | Used only as stages of a stage race | UCI 4.2.006; UCI 4.2.014 |
| Road stage races | A different Part, with their own rules | ../road/ set |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 4: Mountain Bike Races (JCF edition 2025, amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 4.1.005, 4.1.008, 4.2.004 to 4.2.007, 4.2.014, 4.2.036, 4.2.059 and 4.2.066 to 4.2.080. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 4 (PDF).