Event

More than 420 pupils from 86 schools across Scotland are expected to compete in this year’s Scottish Schools’ Mountain Bike Championships, (SSMBCs) at Comrie Croft in Perthshire on Tuesday, 22 September 2026.

Now in its fourth year, the championships have attracted their biggest entry to date, with around one in six competitors being female – the highest proportion since the event began in 2023. Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, is partnering with Comrie Croft and Scottish Cycling to deliver the award-winning event which is Scotland’s largest school mountain bike competition.

Pupils will compete across three race categories – Junior (S1/2), Intermediate (S3/4) and Senior (S5/6) – with female, male races and mixed team races scheduled throughout the day. Competitors are traveling from across the country to take part from Inverness in the Highlands to Moffat in the Scottish Borders.

The championships, which won Scottish Cycling’s Event of the Year award in 2023, aim to give young riders the opportunity to race against their peers in a national grassroots competition, while encouraging pupils new to the sport to experience racing for the first time.

Andrew Donaldson, Founding Director of Comrie Croft, said: “It’s brilliant to see how much the SSMBCs have grown in just four years. Bringing hundreds of young people together from schools across Scotland creates a brilliant atmosphere and is a fantastic reflection of the growing appetite for mountain biking among our young people.

“We will have pupils who are already racing seriously alongside those pinning a number to their bike and lining up at a start line for the very first time. Hopefully, they all leave with the same thing – a big smile, a sense of achievement and an urge to get back out on their bikes.”

Joint sponsors for this year’s event are Alpine Bikes and Tradstocks Scottish Stone.

The 2026 championships will also be the first to take place with Catherine Precious as Rector of Morrison’s Academy, following her recent appointment. Catherine is the first female Rector in the school’s 166 year history.

Mrs Precious said: “There is something very special about an event where young people are encouraged to test themselves, take on a challenge and discover what they can achieve. Mountain biking demands determination and resilience, but it is also enormous fun and creates a real sense of camaraderie.

“I’m particularly encouraged that almost 20% of this year’s competitors are female. As Morrison’s Academy’s first female Rector, it is wonderful to see more girls finding their place in a sport that challenges them, builds confidence and gives them the opportunity to discover just how capable they are.”