Elite Athletes Participating in MTN-X Race
An impressive field of professional and elite gravel cyclists will descend on Pulaski this weekend for the inaugural Pulaski MTN-X Gravel Bike Race, bringing some of the sport’s rising stars and established competitors to the challenging roads of the New River Valley. In addition to Pulaski, the event will travel through some of the most picturesque parts of the state including Wythe, Bland, and Giles counties.
The inaugural event will take place Saturday, September 26, beginning and ending in downtown Pulaski at the Great Wilderness Brewing Company. The marquee 102-mile pro race features more than 12,600 feet of elevation gain, six timed segments and a $20,000 cash purse split equally between the men’s and women’s fields.
Among the riders expected to draw significant attention are Cam Jones, Matt Wilson, Martins Blums and Michael Garrison in the men’s field and Katie Aman, Maeve Roach, Britt Mason and Emma Langley in the women’s field.
MEN’S RIDERS TO WATCH
Cam Jones — New Zealand
Few riders arrive in Pulaski with a more impressive gravel résumé than Cam Jones. The New Zealand rider won the 2025 Unbound Gravel 200 and went on to capture the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix overall title.
Jones returned to Unbound in 2026 and finished 10th in the Elite Men’s 200-mile race, battling at the front of the race deep into the event.
Jones has also developed a reputation for aggressive racing and long solo efforts, making his presence particularly intriguing on a Pulaski MTN-X course featuring extended climbs and technical mixed-surface terrain.
Jones currently lives in Blacksburg, Virginia and trains throughout the New River Valley when he is not travelling to races throughout the globe.
Matt Wilson — New Zealand
Wilson enters Pulaski after one of the strongest stretches of his young career. Last week, he won the Chequamegon MTB Festival, a Life Time Grand Prix event, after making a decisive move in the men’s race and finishing in 1:57:51.
Earlier this year, Wilson also won the Tulsa Tough criterium shortly after competing at Unbound, demonstrating his versatility across gravel, road and mountain-bike racing.
His combination of climbing ability, endurance and racing experience across multiple disciplines could make him particularly well suited to the varied terrain of Pulaski MTN-X.
Martins Blums — Latvia
Blums brings an extensive international mountain-bike résumé to Pulaski. A member of the Life Time Grand Prix field, the Latvian rider has competed at the highest levels of cross-country mountain biking, including the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
Blums has posted multiple top-10 finishes in international XCO competition in 2026, including a fourth place finish at the Rye Bike Festival and ninth-place finishes at both the Kamniški Kros and Serbia Epic Andrevlje.
With Pulaski MTN-X combining gravel roads, pavement and more technical mixed-surface sections, Blums’ mountain-bike background could prove valuable over the 102-mile course.
Michael Garrison — United States
Garrison is another rider with a strong gravel résumé. He finished second at the 2025 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships and opened 2026 with a third-place finish at The Mid South, one of the most competitive gravel events in the country.
He also finished eighth at the 118-mile FoCo Fondo in July and 24th in the 150-mile Gravel Worlds race in August.
Garrison’s experience racing long-distance gravel at a high level makes him one of the riders to watch when the field tackles Pulaski MTN-X’s longest climbs and six timed segments.
WOMEN’S RIDERS TO WATCH
Emma Langley — United States
Langley arrives in Pulaski following a third-place finish at the 2026 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships earlier this month. She finished behind national champion Paige Onweller and runnerup Sarah Lange, leading the chase group across the finish line.
Langley also has extensive experience across gravel, road and mountain-bike racing, making her one of the most versatile riders in the women’s field. Her 2026 gravel results include starts at both Unbound Gravel and the Sea Otter Classic Gravel race.
Katie Aman — United States
Aman brings a strong endurance-racing background to a women’s field that features a mixture of gravel specialists and athletes with experience across multiple cycling disciplines. Her ability to manage long climbs and the changing surfaces of the Pulaski MTN-X course will make her one of the riders to watch throughout Saturday’s race.
Maeve Roach — United States
Roach brings road racing experience to Pulaski MTN-X and has competed throughout the 2026 season, including the Tucson Bicycle Classic and Redlands Bicycle Classic.
The 102-mile course’s combination of sustained climbing, gravel and paved sections should provide an interesting test of her road-racing experience and endurance.
Britt Mason — United States
Mason brings an impressive endurance-racing background to the Pulaski MTN-X field. In 2025, she was part of the Women of AR team that won the women’s division at the USARA National Championship, following a women’s national championship victory with Rootstock Racing in 2024.
Mason also competed in the 2025 Mega Mid South, where she held a strong lead deep into the 300-mile event before a technology issue forced her to withdraw late in the race.
Her experience managing extremely long endurance events should serve her well on Pulaski MTN-X’s demanding 102-mile course.
A COURSE BUILT FOR RACING
All of the courses were designed by Pulaski-native and former U.S. Elite Road National Champion, Scottie Weiss. The 102-mile course used for the pro/elite men and women will climb more than 12,600 feet and contest six timed segments across paved, gravel, and mixed-surface roads while traveling through Pulaski, Wythe, Bland and Giles counties, including sections through the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, before returning to the Town of Pulaski for the finish.
“We wanted Pulaski MTN-X to be more than just another gravel race,” said Tim Miller, Director of Sports & Entertainment for Pulaski County. “We wanted to create an experience that would challenge some of the best riders in the country while also introducing them to the incredible roads, mountains and communities we have here in the New River Valley. Having this caliber of field in our first year is a tremendous statement about what this event can become.”
“Pulaski MTN-X is a great example of how outdoor recreation and sports can showcase everything that makes Pulaski County special,” said Jonathan Sweet, Pulaski County Administrator. “We’re excited to welcome riders from across the country to our community and give them the opportunity to experience our mountains, roads and small towns firsthand. Events like this bring visitors, support local businesses and create opportunities to put Pulaski County and the entire region on the map as a destination for outdoor recreation and adventure.”
Following the race, riders and spectators will gather at Great Wilderness Brewing Company for the Pulaski MTN-X Finish Festival, featuring live music, food, craft beer and awards ceremonies for both the professionals and age group categories. The 102-mile pro race will begin at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The 50-mile race will begin at 7:15 a.m., followed by the 30-mile recreational ride at 7:30 a.m.
For more information about Pulaski MTN-X, to sign up for updates, or to register for the event, visit www.pulaskimtnx.com or follow Pulaski MTN-X on Facebook and Instagram. Online registration closes tonight at 8pm.
About the Pulaski County Sports & Entertainment Authority
The Pulaski County Sports & Entertainment Authority was created by the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors in 2024 in order to oversee a growing list of County facilities, including historic Calfee Park, the Pulaski County Motorsports Park, and the new Pulaski County Sportsplex, and to establish Pulaski County as a premier destination for sports and entertainment events, where world-class assets, outdoor recreation and adventure, and rich culture combine to help create memorable experiences that drive economic growth.
