Southwest Downhill Series Round 3 — Snow Valley 2026 (Season Finale)

About this event

Southwest Downhill Series Round 3 was the 2026 season finale of the Southwest Downhill Series (SWDH), a USA Cycling-sanctioned West Coast gravity racing series. It ran Saturday–Sunday, August 29–30, 2026, on the lift-served downhill course at Snow Valley Bike Park in Running Springs, California, in the San Bernardino Mountains — roughly 75 miles east of Los Angeles and one of the closest purpose-built DH race venues to the LA basin. Snow Valley also hosted Round 1 of the series (June 6–7), and this closing round was staged on a course that added several new sections of track for the finale, with the overall series championships in each category on the line. The series is built to welcome both career-minded racers and weekend warriors: every round offers a separate, novice-friendly Cat 2/3 course alongside the expert/pro track, and USA Cycling sanctioning lets riders earn points toward higher-level events. Racing followed a classic two-day downhill format — Saturday practice (split into three groups) followed by Pro/Cat 1 seeding runs, then Sunday practice and timed finals with awards to follow. Number plates and full-face helmets were mandatory. More than thirty categories were offered, from Mini Rippers (10 & under) and youth Cat 2/3 classes up through Cat 1 (Expert), a Category-1 pedal-assist E-Bike Open, Vet Pro Open Men (35+), and Pro Open Men and Women. Registration ran through BikeReg (online entry closed Thursday, August 27 at 8:00 PM PT) with day-of on-site registration available on race mornings; every entry fee included lift access for the event dates. The Pro Open Men, Pro Open Women, and Vet Pro Open Men divisions raced for a $300 / $200 / $100 cash prize purse, and the top three riders overall in every category were recognized for the season-long championship — riders had to be present at this final event to claim a series title. This is a completed event held in the past; online registration is closed and no active registration or ticket call-to-action applies. Downhill spectating from the base area and along the course is free with normal Snow Valley Bike Park access.

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