MTB

Woods and Trails World Cup Race XCO Series

Sunday, 9 August 2026 · 8:00 AM

A World Cup-style XCO series running from May to November across 5 events at Oloolua Forest. Each race is 4.23km per lap with 124m of climbing. Best 4 out of 5 races count toward overall standings. Giant/Liv bike to be won at the end of the series.

Woods and Trails World Cup Race XCO Series poster

Oloolua Picnic Site, Oloolua Forest

8:00 AM

4.23km per lap (number of laps varies by category)

124m per lap

KES 2,000

Woods and Trails XCO | Vincent Chege

0721 598 252, VincentChege61@gmail.com

www.instagram.com/woodsandtrailsxco

@woodsandtrailsxco Facebook

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Coming up

8 weeks to go

Sunday morning

Race-specific training phase.

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Train at or near goal pace. Practice your race nutrition and, if you can, get a long session in on similar terrain.

Event Highlights

World Cup-style XCO series across 5 events from May to November

Set at Oloolua Forest - one of Nairobi's best-kept MTB venues, 18km from the CBD

4.23km lap with 124m of climbing - technical, fast, and punchy

Series format: best 4 out of 5 races count toward overall standings

Giant/Liv bike plus goodies to be won at the end of the series

KES 2,000 entry - one of the most accessible race-format events on the calendar

Race Distance

4.23km per lap (number of laps varies by category)

Race Fees

KES 2,000

Race Categories

Elite Men

6 laps

Elite Women

5 laps

U23 Men

6 laps

U23 Women

5 laps

Veterans (40–49yrs)

5 laps

Masters (50+yrs)

4 laps

Juniors (16–17yrs)

3 laps

Kids (5–15yrs)

Short course

Course Details

Each race uses the same 4.23km Oloolua circuit with 124m of climbing per lap. Lap counts vary by category: Elite Men and U23 Men do 6 laps, Elite Women and U23 Women do 5 laps, Veterans (40–49yrs) do 5 laps, Masters (50+yrs) do 4 laps, Juniors (16–17yrs) do 3 laps, and Kids (5–15yrs) ride a shorter course. The terrain is classic Nairobi forest singletrack - rooty, technical, and rewarding. A hardtail or full suspension MTB is recommended. Registration requires pre-payment of KES 2,000 via buy goods till 5713613, with the payment code entered on the registration form.

Getting There

Oloolua Picnic Site is inside Oloolua Forest in Karen, approximately 18.6km from central Nairobi - around 39 minutes by car. From the CBD take Ngong Road south, then connect to Lang'ata Road past the Lang'ata Barracks and Galleria Mall. Turn onto Bogani Road at the Bogani Bodaboda stage and follow it to the Oloolua Forest entrance. Parking is available on site.

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Did You Know?

🌍Oloolua Forest is one of the few remaining indigenous forests inside Nairobi's boundaries, covering approximately 618 to 660 hectares in the Karen–Ngong area, with the nature trail section occupying around 250 hectares.

🌍The forest is home to the Oloolua Waterfall on the Mbagathi River, a popular hiking destination tucked into the gorge, as well as the historic Mau Mau Caves used during Kenya's independence struggle.

🌍Oloolua translates to 'the place of rolling hills' in Maa (the Maasai language)-fitting for one of Nairobi's most atmospheric MTB venues.