The MTB World Cup launches the Golden Arrows Awards Gala

The MTB World Cup will feature a new annual awards gala starting this season. Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBD Sports) has announced the creation of the Golden Arrows, awards aimed at recognizing riders, teams, organizers, photographers, and professionals who have stood out throughout the season both on and off the circuits.

The MTB World Cup will debut the “Golden Arrows” awards to recognize the best of the year

The first edition of these awards will take place on October 4, 2026, at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York (United States), coinciding with the final event of this season's MTB World Cup.

According to WBD Sports, the Golden Arrows are created with the aim of rewarding excellence across the entire ecosystem of the World Cup. The selection of winners will involve participation from fans, teams from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, and expert panels.

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Among the confirmed categories are:

Event of the Year

This will reward the venue that has provided the best organizational experience during the season. Aspects such as the quality of facilities, course design, organization, atmosphere created for riders and spectators, and overall execution of the event will be evaluated.

Rookie of the Year

This will recognize the best elite debutant of the season in the Olympic cross-country (XCO) and downhill (DH) disciplines.

Legacy Award

An award aimed at local teams and organizing committees that have developed initiatives with a lasting impact beyond competition, especially in areas related to corporate social responsibility.

Best Professional Photograph

Award for the image that best represents the essence, emotion, and spectacle of the MTB World Cup.

The World Cup trophies will also be awarded

The gala will also serve to officially present some of the most important awards of the season.

On one hand, the The Summit Team Trophy, which distinguishes the teams with the best performance in each discipline of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be awarded. On the other hand, the final winners of the overall classification of the World Cup will receive the already well-known trophy The Globe.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is integrated into the ceremony

Another highlighted novelty is that this year's ceremony will include the induction of new members into the prestigious Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, one of the highest historical distinctions in this sport.

Founded in 1988, this hall of fame recognizes each year figures who have left an indelible mark on mountain biking. In the 2026 edition, four new members will be inducted, whose names will be announced later. Additionally, it will be the first time since 2015 that this induction ceremony is held outside of California.

Lake Placid, the setting for a new tradition

The organization believes that Lake Placid, host of two Winter Olympic Games and a regular venue for major international events, offers the ideal environment to inaugurate this new tradition within the global mountain biking community.

Complete details about eligibility criteria, the voting process, and nominations for each category will be published soon by the organization.