Mountain Home will welcome hundreds of young mountain bikers and their families this weekend as the Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling Association (AR NICA) opens its 10th season at Clysta Willett Park.
The two-day event is expected to bring about 870 student racers and nearly 2,000 spectators to the city. Racing begins Sunday at 8 a.m. and continues until 2 p.m. The public is invited to watch.
“We are excited to bring youth mountain biking back to Mountain Home after a one-year absence,” said Terry Coddington, league director for Arkansas NICA. “We love coming here because of how much the community supports the event and all the local amenities you have here in Mountain Home. Mountain biking is a life sport and we would like to invite the community to come out, celebrate with us, and see how awesome these young athletes are.”
The City of Mountain Home also shared its excitement about hosting the race in a statement released earlier this week. “We’re excited to open our trails and our community to the NICA cycling group this weekend! Mountain Home is proud to host athletes, families, and supporters who share a passion for cycling, teamwork, and the great outdoors,” the city said in a statement. “This event is more than just a race-it’s a chance to celebrate youth, community, and the joy of riding together. Let’s cheer on these incredible riders and show them the Mountain Home spirit!”
The Mountain Home race is the first of six weekends in the 2025 AR NICA series, which will also visit Jonesboro, Siloam Springs, Conway, Hot Springs, Barling and Fayetteville. The league serves more than 900 student-athletes, 500 coaches and hundreds of volunteers statewide.
Arkansas NICA was founded in 2016 to expand access to mountain biking for students in grades 512. In addition to racing, the group runs programs such as GRiT (Girls Riding Together), trail work through Teen Trail Corps, and outdoor adventure education.
For more information about the league or the event, visit www.arkansasmtb.org.
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