About Racing

Updated March 2024

The Michigan Interscholastic Cycling Association is our racing league. While many of our racers choose to race throughout the year (and you’ll see their pictures throughout our News & Photos page, Facebook Group, etc.) the key to our team is our participation in the fall MiSCA race series. MiSCA functions as the Interscholastic State Championship for Michigan and is our state’s sole youth-only racing series.

For many of our team members, racing is a new thing. For others, racing is something they’ve done throughout childhood. Regardless of where you are in your racing career, from first-timer to first-degree shredder, our Coyotes team has a space for you! Racing is fun and we believe every rider should try it out!

Raceday Team Tents – Comraderie, Food, and Fun

MiSCA Registration

All Coyotes riders are asked to join through MiSCA. This provides insurance to the club for practices, injuries that might occur, etc. You can register for MiSCA, and join the Coyotes all in one place once we open up our team’s registration. Details about joining the team are on the Join The Team page.

To register for MiSCA races, first you need to join the Coyotes. Once that’s done, you can go back to miscabike.org/regster and click the “Register for Races” button (as depicted below):

Click this button, yo.

Race Categories and Guidance

There are a plethora of race categories for 2024. MiSCA grew substantially in 2021 to over 600 riders per race, and over 1,000 riders served by the league. The league has added more race categories to ensure a competitive environment for kids, and to maximize the potential for progression throughout a racer’s time with the league. Our coaches will reach out to talk about race category assignments prior to MiSCA season in August.

Mileage varies with elevation and course technicality, but durations are provided below to help in understanding the type of race each group can expect to contest.

Advanced Race Categories:

  • Varsity – Advanced riders with race experience. Races are 75-100 minutes on a course with some technical features.
  • Junior Varsity – Uses the same course as varsity, but typically completes one fewer lap to reduced race time. Race duration is typically 45-60 minutes.
  • Advanced Middle School – Uses the Varsity course. This category is for middle school riders with race experience, and a desire to ride the more technical courses. Race duration is typically 45-60 minutes.

Novice Race Categories

  • Novice High School – Competes on an easier course without technical features. High school riders without race experience or who are new to the sport of MTB should consider this category. Race time is roughly 45-60 minutes.
  • Novice Middle School – Similarly, riders new to racing or the sport should consider this category. Race time is roughly 35-45 minutes, but some beginners
  • Advanced Elementary – Uses the novice course, but does more laps than the other elementary categories. This category was added at the request of elementary riders who tend to train with middle school groups at practices and found the races too short.
  • Upper Elementary – Novice course, 30-45 minutes.
  • Lower Elementary – Novice course 30 minutes’ish. Fewer laps than Upper or Advanced.

MiSCA Race Day Guidelines (Summary):

  • For 2024, we recommend registering early, once you’re sure you intend to be at the races. If you’re not going to attend, or change your mind, please let us know and rescind your registration to make room for someone else. It helps our team know who to expect on race day (how much food to bring, warmups to schedule, etc).
  • We publish your child’s start-times when we receive them.  They will also be displayed at the race on a whiteboard near our trailer. Typically this is Thursday of race week. We will also send out a race week newsletter, and post updates to our Band page.
  • Continued in 2024 is the two-day race format. Pre-rides are a work in progress right now and we aren’t yet sure how we’re going to make that work. If you are a serious racer, there is a significant benefit in finding time over the summer to preview the courses. MiSCA publishes maps on their website, and our varsity riders try to ride at least once before the race weekend itself. Pre-rides on-site will be scheduled once we have a clear sense of what’s allowed at the two-day races.
  • Numbers plates are held by the coaches (at the team trailer) for each race. You get to keep them at the end of the year, but we ask you to leave them with us so we don’t have any emergencies just before races. Please plan to pick up your number plate at least 30 minutes before your start time (from the team trailer). 
  • Plan to report to the start staging area at least 10 minutes before your scheduled start time.  There will be Coyotes coaches at the team tent next to the team trailer to help you figure all this out.
  • Races are fun, but team potlucks are even more fun. We will publish a signup link for food. If you are attending races, please plan to pitch in by signing up to contribute to the potlucks.

If you have questions about racing, about switching your child in/out of various race classes, need more information to feel comfortable signing up, or just want to chat, please contact the coaches.  We are here to help you get into this exciting sport.

USA Cycling

In 2020, MiSCA signed a partnership with USA Cycling. Riders wishing to earn ranking points for USA Cycling MTB Nationals or other regional/national races can do so by signing up for a free Junior USAC Race License. Please provide that information to MiSCA during your Annual Rider Registration. For help with this process please reach out to the coaches and we can help you through it.