USAC's Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) National Championships crown the Stars & Stripes jersey in the discipline closest to what the world sees at the Olympics and UCI World Cups — short, punchy laps rather than the longer format that defines much of North American off-road racing. For 2026, it's part of a combined Endurance Mountain Bike National Championship week in Roanoke, run alongside the Marathon (XCM) and Short Track (XCC) national titles.
Roanoke's Blue Ridge Mountain trail network has become a recurring host for this week, giving USA Cycling a technical, spectator-friendly venue that draws elite, U23, junior, and masters fields across multiple age categories, all racing for the same jersey that separates them from every other weekend of the season.
Historically, this race is significant not only because it crowns national champions in each category, but also because it factors into world championship team selection and carries Olympic-cycle significance — hence the 'Olympic' in the format's name.
Through usacycling.org; requires a current USA Cycling race license.