Event Venue Guide

For Trail Builders

NICA has partnered with the University of Utah to study which trail features present the highest injury risk to student athletes. Our courses are designed around these recommendations.

Course Design

Area	Ideal	Acceptable
Course length	4 – 5 mile loop 15 – 18 minute laps ideal for varsity	3 miles minimum; 6 miles maximum Any two-way traffic < 50’
Passing	Available every ¼ mile (flat or uphill)4 At least 50 – 60% of course ¼ mile of passing at end	Passing possible every ½ mile
Speed	< 18 mph	< 20 mph
Trail descents	24” – 48” wide 0%-6% average grade	Double track or fireroad ≤ 10% for ≤ 200’; ≤ 15% for ≤ 100’
Trail flats and climbs	double track or fire road for passing 0% – 6% average grade	15% maximum grade for < 100’ Maintain ≤ 4 inclusivity points per lap5
Elevation gain	≤ 100’ – 200’ per mile Similar to league practice and race areas	600’ maximum per lap6
Vehicular road crossings	No crossings	Limited crossings; crossing traffic < 30 MPH
Access points	As many as possible	Every ¼ – ½ mile
Public trail access	Trail access on the course itself closed to public during race day	May request the public avoid trails.
Obstacles	Unavoidable obstacles 2” or less. Avoidable obstacles may be present.	Unavoidable obstacles 8” or less. Avoidable obstacles may be present. Maintain ≤ 4 inclusivity points per lap
Technical Trail Features (TTF)	Bypass routes available so race can tape off features	Bypass routes available so race can tape off features
Bridges	Railings with top rails angled away from handlebars; rub rail; entrance and exit should be straight onto and off bridge	≥ 18” tall must have railings with rub rails7
Water crossings	≤ 2” deep Easy to cross; Predictable water level	≤ 8” deep Maintain ≤ 4 inclusivity points per lap

Infield

Infield is what we call the area with our sponsors, registration tent and start/finish.

Area	Ideal	Acceptable
Parking1	1.5 cars per expected racer 9’ x 20’ per vehicle for field parking 20’ lanes for driving between spaces	League dependant 1.5 acres minimum for small new league 5 – 10 acres for larger leagues
Finish line	16’ – 20’ wide 100’ – 200’ straight shot into finish Uphill, flat okay with grass surface	16’ minimum width 100’ minimum straight into finish < 18 mph
Finish exit chute	90’ – 150’ after finish line	≤ 90’ for slow speed finish
Start line	15’ – 20’ wide 400’ straight chute from start line maintaining width ¼ mile or 2 min ride time before funneling into singletrack	12’ wide minimum 200’ minimum straight chute from start line maintaining width ¼ mile or 1 min ride time minimum before funneling into singletrack
Staging	Same width as start line 200’ – 400’ deep depending on QTY of racers	Same width as start line Minimum space required dependant on QTY of racers
Feed zone	50’ – 90’ long 10’ – 24’ deep Uphill or slow flat terrain	50’ minimum for slower speed terrain 10’ deep minimum
Pit zone	40 ft2 per racer minimum	20 ft2 per racer minimum
Reg/Vol/Merch/Misc	≥ 60’ x 30’ – 40’	60’ x 30’ – 40’
Porta Potties	1:30 per racer2	1 porta potty (or existing toilet) per 40 participants
Course Marshal and EMS	20’ x 30’ Two 10’x10’s plus 1-2 vehicles	20’ x 20’ One 10’x10’ plus one vehicle
Camping	Depends on league estimates and needs, plus venue allowance

¹ Most common limiting factor for leagues outgrowing their venues 
² Depends on event attendance and whether used for camping
³ Course specifications align with IMBA’s green and blue trail designation, but also include other NICA specifics 
⁴ Passing zones can be spread out more if the zones themselves are longer 
⁵ Each moment that a new rider needs to put a foot down or dismount 
⁶ Shorter laps should have smaller total elevation gains which will also be evident in average trail grades
⁷ Unless the bridge width is wider than its length and at least 4’ wide. See bridge addendum for more.

Camping

We’ve built a culture around community of mountain biking. Part of this culture building has included our teams camping together at the race venues. This can look different for many teams – some teams are primarily tent camping and some have families with large RVs.