If you’re in Forest Hill Park or out walking Buttermilk or North Bank Trails this Saturday, beware, you may have company. A lot of it. VCU Cycling will hold its 3rd Annual URBAN CAMO Collegiate Mountain Bike race. The VCU team was selected to host the race for the second year in a row. As Lester Brown, race promoter and alumni coordinator for VCU cycling said in a release. “[It] provides an opportunity to showcase the Outdoor Jewel of our City, our Top Ranked JRPS trails!”

The day begins with a Time Trial on North Bank from the gravel road below Oregon Hill to the Texas Beach parking lot. This has quickly become a favorite event on the Collegiate MTB schedule. The TT Race begins at 8:30am and riders go in 1 minute intervals for a fast and furious 9-12 minutes run. The afternoon race takes place on Buttermilk and Forest Hill Park for a Cross Country course using a similar loop to the Urban Assault. Riders start from the 22nd St. parking lot and proceed down Buttermilk to Reedy Creek, through the tunnels and up into Forest Hill. The XC Race starts at 1:30pm. Schools in attendance include West Virginia (consecutive 10-time Conference Champions), Virginia Tech, Appalachian State (Conference and National Champions), NC State, W&M, and our very own VCU (2010 Conference Champions).

The VCU cycling team would love to have some support out on the course, so if you live in the area or you’re going to be down that way anyway, go cheer them on.