Kelowna Mountain Biking Races and the Community Behind Them

By the Fresh Air Kelowna Team | May 2026

A few years ago, there were almost no mountain bike races in Kelowna.

This spring, there were eight of them packed into an eight or nine-week stretch. We caught up with Mike Kirk, the local realtor and mountain bike (MTB) enthusiast who organized two, attended the rest, and shot photos while he was at it.

"It's kind of crazy how it just happened all at once," he said.

Kirk is a Kelowna realtor who has been mountain biking for just over 20 years. He co-founded the Sunset Race Series with the Okanagan Mountain Bike Club (MTBco) two years ago, after bringing the idea to the club because, as he put it, "insurance-wise it was a lot easier to have the club part of it." He has run the Smith Creek Chainless Race for three years. Both events are built on the same premise: low barrier, low stakes, different venue every time. Show up after work, pay ten dollars, and get a time at the finish.

No podium ceremony. No prize money. Win a race, get a free entry to the next one!

"The whole basis is just getting people out there having fun," Kirk said, "and people really seem to."

What Mountain Bike Races Happen in Kelowna?

2026 so far is covering more events than the community has ever seen!

• Sunset Race Series (Mike Kirk / MTBco): Five after-work races across spring 2026, capped at 50 riders, different trail network every race, every two weeks. Low entry fee.

• Smith Creek Chainless Race (Mike Kirk): Just under 100 riders on April 12th, charity format. Mid-range entry fee. Raised $13,185 for Adaptive Adventures.

• Fire in the Mountains Enduro at Smith Creek (West Kelowna Firefighters): Part of the Canadian Enduro League this year. Higher entry fee reflecting the scale and league standing. Drew riders from across Western Canada, including Fresh Air staff member Kaleb Hellreich.

• Gillard Mega Enduro (Smith Creek Cycle): Around 120 riders, May 24th. Photographed by Kirk.

• Cranksgiving Enduro (MTBco): Annual fall enduro, October 2026.

• Peachduro (Penticton): Fall enduro, separate from the Kelowna circuit.

The community felt the weight of it. "Between the races, the trail days, the shop rides, the Mountain Bike Club events outside of that," Kirk said, "I think everybody is just like, 'Oh my god, this was really busy!'" Kirk is likely to adjust the format for 2027.

What is the Sunset Race Series in Kelowna?

Kirk brought the Sunset idea to MTBco in early 2025. He had been working out what he could do on his own, but the club made it easier to manage. They capped it at 50 riders, chose a different trail network every race, and ran it every two weeks through spring 2026. Last year the series ran once a month over six races. Kirk found that wasn't often enough.

Entry is $10 per race. Win your race, you get a free entry to the next one. There is a points system across the season: first earns roughly 10 points, second roughly 9, descending from there, as Kirk described it. Whoever leads their category when the series closes takes the overall win. The 2026 final was June 17th at a trail network in the Kelowna area. Last year, Kirk thinks the overall winner received something like a $50 gift card.

About 75 percent of the people who show up are the same faces every time.

"It's a community situation," Kirk said. "We get a few new ones here and there, and you kind of see it grow a little bit."

The Sunset Series works because it does not ask much. No competitive pressure, no expensive entry, no trek to a destination venue. It is the kind of event that fits into a Tuesday evening and leaves you wanting to come back.

What is the Smith Creek Chainless Race?

The format explains itself once you try to picture it.

You pedal up to the top of the course at Smith Creek, a trail network on the west side of Kelowna. Then you take your chain off. Then you ride down, unable to pedal, managing speed through cornering and reading the terrain rather than reaching for the cranks. Kirk has run the event for three years. This year he drew just under 100 riders, including a family who drove from Calgary specifically to enter.

"It is literally just a for-fun race," Kirk said.

E-bike riders compete in a separate category. As Kirk explained, riders on e-bikes arrive at the top with more energy than those who climbed on pedal power, and their heavier bikes carry more speed on the descent. Grouping them separately keeps the format fair. Both the Chainless and the Sunset Series use the same category structure: open men, open women, junior men, junior women, e-bike men, e-bike women.

The Chainless Race had about $5,000 in raffle prizes this year. Kirk estimated roughly 75 percent of the field went home with something. There were custom trophies for the top three in each category.

This year the race also raised $13,185 for Adaptive Adventures. The amount is confirmed in Kirk's follow-up email and visible on the novelty cheque presented at the event on April 12th, photographed by Chris Skomorowski (Instagram: @Typetwophoto).

Who is Adaptive Adventures?

Adaptive Adventures is a Kelowna-based non-profit that takes people with physical and cognitive disabilities on backcountry adventures: mountain biking, backpacking, kayaking, etc. Their equipment is highly custom and purpose-built. For example, they run triple-person recumbent bikes where one able-bodied rider steers and pedals from the back while two people using adaptive supports sit in front.

 Kirk is joining one of their adventures: five athletes pedalling the Kettle Valley Rail Trail from Myra Canyon to Chute Lake Lodge, staying overnight, then riding down into Penticton.

They are also preparing to support a participant with cerebral palsy in a multi-day ultra race next month! It’s one of those events that runs three days and 300 kilometres and combines running, mountain biking, and kayaking with carrying camping gear.

Tragically, in February 2025, the Adaptive Adventures storage container was broken into. About $250,000 worth of specialized, custom-built equipment was stolen. Kirk had been raising money for BC Children's Hospital, but when he heard what happened to Adaptive Adventures, he changed the recipient that year.

"When I changed it to Adaptive Adventures, they shows up on the event day," Kirk said. "I got to present them with the big novelty check, and we were able to raise just over $13 grand for them. Knowing exactly what that money is going toward and what it's actually doing felt really great ... This is directly impacting our community."

Find Adaptive Adventures on Instagram at @adaptiveadventures_ or at adaptiveadventures.ca.

How do Kelowna MTB Enduro Races Work?

Enduro racing is a different proposition from the Sunset Series or the Chainless. You are on a bike for four or five hours. You are pedalling roughly 30 kilometres. It’s, as Kirk put it, "a huge day."

Fire in the Mountains, organized by the West Kelowna Firefighters as a charity event, was part of the Canadian Enduro League series this year. Entry was roughly $300 by Kirk's estimate. It drew around 150 riders from across Western Canada to the Smith Creek trail network. Fresh Air Kelowna staff member Kaleb Hellreich was among the competitors.

The Gillard Mega Enduro, organized by Smith Creek Cycle, drew around 120 riders at Gillard on May 24th.

Cranksgiving, organized by MTBco, runs in October each year. It is the fall anchor of the local calendar.

For anyone who has never entered a race before, Kirk has advice on where to start: the Sunset Series or the Chainless. "The Chainless Race and the Sunset Series are both there to let people kind of dip their toes in and see what the races are like in a very much non-competitive format," he said. "It's basically telling everybody to treat it as though you're just out on a group ride with your friends, and you just get a time at the end."

Who Organizes Mountain Bike Events in Kelowna?

Kirk's day job is real estate, out of Re/Max Kelowna at Burtch Road. He has been mountain biking for just over 20 years. He is candid about why he started organizing events.

"I haven't really done much to give back," he said, "so this is my way of giving back.”

He also built a trail guide on his website at https://kirks.ca/local-trail-guide/ -  it’s a hidden page he put together over years of riding the Okanagan's networks, with his top three recommended trails per riding area and links to each route on Trailforks. If you are new to riding in Kelowna and want a starting point from someone who has spent two decades on these trails, it is worth bookmarking.

Across the broader calendar, MTBco handles Cranksgiving and co-organizes the Sunset Series. Smith Creek Cycle runs the Gillard Enduro. The West Kelowna Firefighters run Fire in the Mountains. The Peachduro operates out of Penticton in the fall.

The full MTBco events calendar, including Cranksgiving 2026, is at mtbco.ca/events.

To learn more about MTBco and learn how to get involved, check our our article “Meet MTBCO: The Volunteers Behind Kelowna's Mountain Bike Trails.”

Frequently asked questions about mountain biking in Kelowna

Are Kelowna mountain bike races beginner-friendly? The Sunset Series and Smith Creek Chainless Race are both designed for riders who bike more casually. Entry fees are low ($10 and $60, respectively), fields are capped, and both events are run as community rides with timing rather than competitive racing. The enduro events are more demanding, covering up to 30 kilometres over four to five hours.

Where do Kelowna MTB races take place? Venues rotate depending on the event. The Smith Creek trail network on the west side of Kelowna hosts the Chainless Race and Fire in the Mountains Enduro. Sunset Series venues change every race across Kelowna's trail networks, including areas like Crawford. Cranksgiving runs in October at trails organized by MTBco.

How do I sign up for mountain bike races in Kelowna? For Sunset Series and Chainless Race registration, follow Mike Kirk's Instagram and watch for event posts. MTBco events including Cranksgiving are listed on the MTBco website under the events calendar. The Peachduro is organized separately.

Do you need your own bike to race in Kelowna? Yes, all participants bring their own bikes. E-bike riders are welcome and compete in a dedicated category at both the Chainless Race and Sunset Series. Fresh Air Kelowna carries mountain bikes, e-bikes, and services for all skill levels at both Kelowna locations.

Where to Buy Mountain Bikes and Gear in Kelowna

Fresh Air Kelowna has outfitted riders in the Okanagan since 1981. Staff ride these trails, race these events, and know what gear holds up on local terrain. Fresh Air staff member Kaleb Hellreich raced Fire in the Mountains this spring as part of the Canadian Enduro League. That is not a marketing claim. It is what the people who work there do on their days off.

For bike fitting, tune-ups, mountain bikes, e-bikes, helmets, and gear from brands tested in the Okanagan, browse online or stop in at one of our Kelowna locations.

Fresh Air Kelowna helps riders of all levels find the right gear for Okanagan trails. With two Kelowna locations and over 40 years of local expertise, they are the go-to stop for mountain bikes, e-bikes, and seasonal service. Browse Fresh Air’s selection of mountain bikes for sale in Kelowna.

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