Enduro bicycle race set for Mount Nebo

The Big Mountain Enduro, one of North America’s premier mountain bike races, begins its 2024 event at Mount Nebo State Park on Saturday and Sunday.

The race features the largest-ever pro purse of $20,000, according to a press release from race organizers.

Professional and amateur riders will take on the Mount Nebo terrain, which rises 1,350 feet above the River Valley.

“We’re excited to bring Big Mountain Enduro back to Arkansas for the second consecutive year,” said Robert Herber, event director of Big Mountain Enduro and Downhill, in a news release. “Arkansas is a hotbed for cycling and Mount Nebo State Park provides an amazing riding experience with spectacular views. Arkansas now rivals some of the more traditional Enduro locations such as the Rocky Mountains.”

Enduro is a multi-stage downhill race where riders pedal to the top and then are timed for the downhill segments only. Unlike other mountain bike races where riders are allowed to swap parts in the event of a flat tire or broken part, Enduro riders must cross the finish line with the same bike and components with which they started.

“Arkansas is thrilled that Big Mountain Enduro has selected to bring its top-notch event to our state for a second consecutive year,” said Dalaney Thomas, director of Arkansas Tourism, said in a press release. “The Natural State has become a destination for riding enthusiasts no matter their experience levels or surface preferences, and races such as Big Mountain Enduro help to showcase our state to the world.”

Mount Nebo is one of four Arkansas State Parks that features Monument Trails, which is a system of shared-use trails that are professionally developed.

Following completion of the first leg of the race at Mount Nebo, riders will head to Windrock Bike Park in Tennessee and then eventually on to the sixth and final round at Tamarack Resort, Idaho.