We are in the process of identifying courses that meet our standards, as well as represent a good mix of technical trails, along with satisfying climbing and thrilling singletrack descents. As you may know, course-planning for a multi-day, marathon MTB event like this involves work with multiple agencies to secure the necessary permits.
Offering riders 100+ miles of trails over the 4-day event requires us to permit the four courses we will use in September, in addition to backup courses - just in case we lose a course due to an emergency. The process of identifying, planning and permitting takes time and requires coordination with several agencies and landowners. As we move through the planning process, we will release courses when they are finalized. All information here will be tentative until all permits are in place.
We understand many of you are eager to learn more about 2022 courses. While we are not ready to release the exact courses, we can give riders a pretty good idea of what to anticipate in 2022. The APEX will follow the same format and feature courses similar to previous years.
As we release courses details, we will update this page. For information, subscribe to APEX News & Updates and follow us on social media.
Stage 1: Coming Soon
Approximately 10 miles + 1,000 feet of climbing
Expect a time trial prologue to kick off 2022. The technical skill level, mileage and climbing will be similar to previous years.
Thursday’s stage will once again have riders start every 30 seconds on a mostly singletrack course winding through an in-town park. Our course the last two years has been an 11-mile course in Palmer Park, known for its challenging, rocky terrain and tight corners. We are expecting to use Palmer Park again, but we are considering changing it up and creating a similar course in another in-town park. Stay tuned!
Stage 2: Coming Soon
Approximately 30-40 miles + 5,000-6,500 feet of climbing
This stage will be similar to courses in previous years. The course will be one of the longest of the week. Expect a longer sustained climb on gravel roads with winding singletrack descents. We may throw in a very technical section that could include a portion of hike-a-bike to keep everyone on their toes.
Stage 3: Coming Soon
Approximately 30-40 miles + 5,000-6,500 feet of climbing
Expect this stage to be similar to Stage 2 in length and climbing.
Stage 4: Coming Soon
Approximately 20 miles + 4,000 feet of climbing
Expect Stage 4 to be slightly shorter than Stage 3, taking riders from America The Beautiful Park into Cheyenne Canyon. Fewer miles will not mean riders should not expect a tough day of riding. If all goes as planned, we will feature some of the new singletrack in Daniel’s Pass, built with funding from the PPORA Stewardship Fund, made possible by proceeds raised from The APEX.