The scenic trails of Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Spring Valley will soon buzz with the excitement of mountain biking. 

The Colorado High School Cycling League, commonly known as the Colorado League, is set to hold the Spring Valley Scramble on Saturday and Sunday, bringing together a multitude of young biking enthusiasts.

Founded in 2009 as a nonprofit organization, the Colorado League started its first season in the fall 2010 with 202 student-athletes from 19 teams. Today, it covers more than 160 high schools from Spearfish, South Dakota to Taos, New Mexico. Local teams like Glenwood Springs, Roaring Fork and the combined Aspen/Basalt team represent the league’s reach in the Roaring Fork Valley.

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Due to the growing interest in the sport, the league adopted a regional system. By 2015, two conferences emerged, and by 2020, the structure expanded to include four regions.

“It started as us just gathering kids together and asking, ‘What high school are you representing?’ and now we’re hosting hundreds of teams from multiple states in an organized event,” Colorado High School Cycling League Founder Kate Rau said.

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“We couldn’t be more grateful for the support from CMC throughout the years,” Rau said. “They’ve been amazing sponsors and hosts.”

Mountain biking, under the league’s guidance, isn’t just a sport — it offers student-athletes a unique chance that many traditional school sports don’t provide. The league celebrates both individual skills and team spirit, focusing on a friendly and respectful competition.

“My true motivation is to promote positive youth development,” Rau said. “I want to keep kids outside, surrounded by healthy mentors and peers, developing a love for a sport they can enjoy their whole lives.”

CMC’s partnership with the Colorado League began in 2013 with races at their Leadville campus. By 2015, CMC officially became a sponsor. In a testament to their commitment, CMC will host four out of the nine total races in the league’s series — with the highlight being the state championships on Oct. 21-22 at the Spring Valley campus.

Last year, even with weather setbacks, the state championships at Spring Valley drew over 2,400 participants, with about 70% of them staying in the local area throughout the weekend.

Jeanne Golay, the Glenwood Springs Coach and former Olympian, praises the league’s approach. 

“It’s inclusive. It focuses on making the sport fun for the kids,” Golay said. “There are competitive riders in the varsity division, but many kids come just to have fun.”

Speaking about her coaching role, Golay shared, “After the previous coach moved, there was a gap to be filled,” she said. “I wanted to make sure these kids could keep biking, so I stepped in.”

Discussing the upcoming Spring Valley race, she emphasized the uniqueness for those choosing to compete who already reside in the Roaring Fork Valley.

“In a sport like this, it’s special to wake up in your own bed and compete,” Golay said. “This is a unique chance for these kids and it’s going to be a great time.”

An employee of CMC, Golay also underlined the event’s benefit to the CMC Spring Valley campus. 

“This race is great for our campus,” she said. “It brings students here, which helps our admissions and recruitment goals.”

With the anticipation building, the Colorado High School Cycling League continues its mission to foster positive youth development, one race at a time.