Spooky Catalyst Race

You can expect flow, chunky rocks and roots, lung and leg burning climbs and some of the fastest downhills in all of the Shawnee! These trails have been hand tuned and are maintained by members of the Shawnee Mountain Bike Association and other volunteers. These are the first trails to be designated for MTB use in the Shawnee National Forest and are some of the best riding we have in the area.  All proceeds from this race will support future trail building and maintenance by the Shawnee Mountain Bike Association.

The professionally designed and built MTB trails at SIU Touch of Nature in Makanda, IL. The first phase of completed trails officially opened on May 1st 2021 after five years of planning, fundraising, construction, and thousands of hours of volunteer work. This trail system is the fastest and most flowy of the three locations. Although most of this trail system is fast flowing singletrack, a few creek crossings and small rock gardens are thrown in to keep everyone on their toes and keep things exciting. All proceeds for this racing series are dedicated toward the ultimate goal of constructing 30 miles of trails at Touch of Nature.  

Each course will be between 8 and 10 miles per lap. The course will be taped and spray painted for fun and fast racing, helping even first time riders on these trails easily fly through the woods.