2026 BMX Racing Season Preview: Everything You Need to Know Before the Gates Drop
The 2025 season is done, the winter miles are in, and the gates are about to drop on a brand-new year of British BMX racing. We’ve spent the off-season buried in the numbers — National Series standings, British Championship results, Elite and National team tables, and the Racing Under the Roof winter series — to bring you the most data-driven season preview in UK BMX.
Whether your rider is lining up for their first National Series round or chasing a championship, here’s what the data says about 2026.
The Club Championship: Can Anyone Break the Big Three?
For years, the National Series club championship has been a three-horse race, and 2025 was no different. Preston Pirates (11,620), Birmingham BMX (11,330), and Manchester BMX (11,120) locked out the top three again.
But the 2024-to-2025 movements tell a more dramatic story than the final standings suggest.
The year-on-year shake-up: 2024 vs 2025
The 2024 club champion was Hayes Hawks with 11,040 points. In 2025, they collapsed to 13th (9,510). A fall of 12 places in a single season.
Meanwhile, Birmingham BMX jumped from 7th to 2nd, gaining five places in one year. Exeter Eagles climbed 13 places (18th to 5th). Cumbernauld Centurions rose 18 places (27th to 9th). And Braintree climbed 7 places (11th to 4th). The table is far more volatile than the “same top 3” narrative suggests.
Preston’s cruiser dominance is their strategic edge. Preston’s strength runs across all cruiser categories — from 9-12 Cruiser Open through to 55+ Cruiser. J. Cottrell (13-14 Cruiser), Alex Brookes (17-29 Cruiser), Christopher Evans (40-44 Cruiser) and riders across every other cruiser age group give Preston a points engine most clubs can’t match. While other clubs rely heavily on youth categories, Preston’s ability to score maximum points across the full cruiser spectrum — combined with having Ross Cullen in Superclass — means they pick up points in categories where rivals often have gaps. They hit the maximum 1,200 points in three separate rounds — no other club managed it once — and their floor was still an impressive 1,120.
Manchester’s secret weapon is their female riders. A remarkable 47% of Manchester’s point scorers in 2025 were female, including Hannah Drew who won five consecutive races in 17-29 Female Cruiser. For parents of girls wondering whether BMX racing has a strong female pathway: Manchester is living proof.
The dark horse: Braintree BMX. They finished 4th — up from 11th in 2024 — after a jaw-dropping 1,160-point Round 10 that leapfrogged Exeter Eagles by just 70 points.
The 70-Point Heartbreak and Other Margins That Matter
Every race matters, no matter where your club sits in the table.
Regional Power Shifts
Scotland topped the 2025 regional standings by average points per club (9,100). The South led on total riders (337 from 13 clubs).
The Brits geography factor is real. With the 2025 Brits at Cyclopark in Kent, Braintree brought 91 riders — practically local. Preston dropped from 1st in the Nationals to 3rd at the Brits.
Elite Teams: The Clark & Kent Factor
Absolute Bicycle Motocross won the Elite title in both 2024 (11,450) and 2025 (11,540). They actually got better year on year. That’s a team operating at a consistently elite level.
But the team that should worry them is StayStrong / Clark & Kent. They climbed from 5th in 2024 to 3rd in 2025 to Brits champions — a perfect 1,200 points with 6 first-place finishes from just 14 riders. Steady improvement, not a one-off spike.
The 2024 to 2025 Elite shake-up
Moto1 Race Team dropped from 2nd to 8th — but their 3rd place at the Brits shows they can still peak. Fluent Bicycle Motocross fell from 7th to 14th and got relegated. Meanwhile Crucial BMX climbed from 4th to 2nd and RABracing jumped from 8th to 5th.
Bestrong’s withdrawal
Bestrong Race Team were promoted to Elite after finishing 3rd in the National Series but have withdrawn from the 2026 Elite season. At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether British Cycling will fill the vacant spot with the next National team in line or run Elite with 14 teams. Their late-season drop to 592 points in Round 10 was their lowest score of the season. Update as 10.04.2026: Unconfirmed, Fluent may be remaining in Elite category for 2026. Let’s see what happens on the weekend.
National Team Changes for 2026
The Meybo UK transformation
In 2024, Meybo UK were 12th in the National team standings with 6,630 points. In 2025, they finished 1st with 10,340 — a 56% points increase and an 11-place jump. They clearly rebuilt their squad and came back as a completely different outfit.
But there’s a cautionary tale. Alans Factory Supercross won the National tier in 2024, got promoted to Elite, and got immediately relegated. The step up is real. Meybo’s deeper squad (21 riders vs Alans’ 14 in their promotion year) should help, but Elite is unforgiving.
Evolve Collective’s remarkable rise
They were 21st in 2024 (5,230 points) and climbed to 2nd in 2025 (9,340) — a 19-place jump on just 12 riders. With Bestrong withdrawing, Evolve becomes the only first-time promoted team alongside Meybo’s return. Whether their small squad can sustain Elite-level intensity is the question.
The Perfect 10s: Riders Who Won Every Single Race
Three riders achieved a perfect 2,000 points in 2025. But the year-on-year rider data tells an even richer story.
Riders who dominated across both seasons
James Bibby won Male 11 in 2024 (1,200) then won Male 12 in 2025 (1,200). Moved up and kept winning — that’s exceptionally rare. Coby Wrayford did the same: won Open 13 in 2024, won Open 14 in 2025. Both scored perfect 1,200 both years. Alan Hill won Grand Veteran 50+ and 50-54 Cruiser in both 2024 AND 2025 — four perfect seasons running simultaneously.
Riders who broke through in 2025
H. Sullivan won Male 9 in 2025 with a perfect 1,200 in his first scored National Series season points scoring year, Male 9 is the entry point for National Series scoring. Ethan Shore was 2nd in Male 9 in 2024, then won Male 10 in 2025. Climbed from silver to gold on age-up.
Double champions — won both Nationals and Brits in 2025
Racing Under the Roof: The Winter Form Guide
The Racing Under the Roof winter series (680 riders) tells us who’s been putting in the work. For parents wondering whether winter training makes a difference — these results say it absolutely does.
Riders who look improved
Finlay Munro (Expert Boys 11-12, perfect 200) was 3rd in Male 11 at the 2025 Nationals. His winter dominance suggests he’s ready for Male 12.
Ethan Howell (Expert 13-14, 192) was 2nd in Open 13 behind James Miller. The gap is closing.
Oliver Tyers (Expert 15-16, 182) — a new name. Didn’t feature in 2025’s top 3. Genuine breakout candidate.
Harry Tanner (Superclass, 181) topped winter Superclass. Can he challenge Jos Marnham over a full season?
The consistent machines
Henry Sullivan (Expert Boys 9-10, perfect 200) — won everything in Male 9 in 2025 and carried it through winter. Now ages up to Male 10.
Matt Barnard (Masters, 191) — three competitions, three titles. Won Veteran 40+ at the Nationals, Brits, and winter series. He won it in 2024 too.
James Clitheroe (Superclass Junior, perfect 200) — the most consistent junior in the country across all competitions.
Brits upsets — different winners to the Nationals
One-day racing changes everything. These categories had different champions:
| Category | Nationals winner | Brits winner |
|---|---|---|
| Male 9 | Henry Sullivan | Ethan White |
| Male 10 | Ethan Shore | Charlie Dowsing |
| Male 11 | Jacob Anderson | Connor Hemphill |
| Open 15 | Amos Guppy | Harvey Tomlinson |
| Open 17-18 | George Gerrard | Arne Esslemont |
| Female 13 | Ruby Warren | Emma Kiss |
| Female 14 | Katie Millar | Isabella Rowe |
| Champ Women 17+ | Emily Hutt | Bethany Shriever |
2026 Venue Guide: What to Expect
For families heading to the National Series — especially first-timers — here’s what you need to know.
Indoor velodrome with a purpose-built BMX track. Home of British Cycling and the most prestigious venue on the calendar. Smooth, fast, and technical — first straight speed is crucial, and the berms reward riders who carry speed high. Being indoors means no weather worries, but the atmosphere can be intense. Parking is on-site but fills early — arrive early. Food available inside but bringing your own is cheaper.
Olympic-standard facility and host of the 2023 UCI BMX World Championships. This is the first national event at the centre since Worlds, and many riders will be experiencing the track for the first time. The track features world-class infrastructure with a full-size 8-metre start hill — a serious track that rewards power and confidence. Glasgow is a major travel commitment for Southern clubs but a rare opportunity to race at a venue with genuine international pedigree.
An established outdoor track on the south coast. Gosport BMX Club finished 10th in the 2025 National Series with 10,000 points and their associated Gosport NRT climbed 15 places in the National team standings — expect a fired-up home crowd. The track is technical with tight berms that reward smooth riding and good line choice. Being on the coast means wind can be a factor.
This is a big one — the National Championships are embedded within rounds 7 and 8, making it a three-day event. The Cardiff track is a purpose-built facility with a strong track design. Racing for the national champion’s jersey adds an extra level of intensity to every moto. Expect the largest fields and highest stakes of the season.
The season finale. Derby BMX Club finished 11th in the 2025 National Series and climbed 6 places from 2024 — they’ll be racing at home with something to prove. The final rounds are where championship battles are decided. Derby is centrally located, making it one of the most accessible venues for clubs from all regions.
The Brits move to Platt Fields in south Manchester for 2026. After the 2025 Brits at Cyclopark in Kent — where geography heavily influenced squad sizes and results — a Manchester venue shifts the advantage towards Northern clubs. Southern clubs that brought huge squads to Cyclopark will need to plan their travel carefully. Platt Fields is a traditional outdoor BMX track with a loyal local racing community.
Bold Predictions for 2026
We’re putting these on record. We’ll score ourselves in September.
Club Championship
Elite Teams
National Teams
Individual Riders
The Sport
The Numbers at a Glance
| Competition | Clubs/Teams | Riders 2025 | Riders 2024 | 2025 Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Series (Clubs) | 54 | 1,266 | 1,249 | Preston Pirates |
| National Series (Elite Teams) | 15 | — | — | Absolute Bicycle Motocross |
| National Series (National Teams) | 40 | — | — | Meybo UK |
| British Championships (Clubs) | 57 | 1,235 | — | Birmingham BMX |
| British Championships (Elite Teams) | 15 | — | — | StayStrong / Clark & Kent |
| Racing Under the Roof (Winter) | — | 680 | — | — |
What Happens Next
This is the start of a series. We’ll revisit these predictions at mid-season and score ourselves in September. If you think we’ve got something wrong — or right — let us know.
The 2026 season kicks off with BMX Racing National Series Rounds 1 and 2 at the National Cycling Centre, Manchester on 11-12 April. See you under the roof.
Data compiled from publicly available race results and standings published by British Cycling and Sqorz. Statistics and analysis are based on publicly available race results and standings at the time of writing. Event details and team line-ups may change during the season.
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