BMX bike racing and ranking

At the start line for a BMX race

BMX racing originated in Los Angeles, USA, as an alternative to motocross and quickly became a popular worldwide sport enjoyed by thousands.

Today, BMX races are typically held on purpose-built tracks with many hills and jumps, including banked corners or berms.

While BMX racing is primarily an individual sport, teams are often formed, and clubs are typically family-friendly, with riders aged 5 to 90.

Some regional, national and international bodies provide rules for competition and organised events and set out skill classifications and other regulations.

In the UK, BMX bike racing is overseen by the British Cycling Federation. The Federation provides rules and guidelines for hosting events, including a code of conduct and membership and licensing requirements.

It also sets track competition standards and penalties for infringements. Details of BMX rules and regulations are available here.

Notching up the points

Competition riders can earn points by participating in organised BMX races and, over time, achieve a ranking based on their placement at the end of each event.

Competitors in Olympic and World Championship meetings can earn the highest ranking points, while other events, such as international, national and regional races, have their own point scales.

The current BMX rider ranking is maintained in a British Cycling database, and points are updated daily. These ranking points are only awarded for events run by British Cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the European Cycling Union (UEC).

A BMX bike racer's ranking is calculated from the 12 best results in any year, where the racing year runs from December 1 to November 30.

Racing points earned in Olympic, World and European championship events are automatically added to riders' rankings. Still, British Cycling has to be informed of any points scored at other international events.

Only BMX riders with a full racing licence can be awarded ranking points, so anyone planning to participate in competitive BMX bike racing should consider being a fully authorised member of British Cycling.

Membership usually includes a provisional racing licence to allow riders to compete in most BMX races, but any race wins do not count towards ranking.

Surge in BMX track building

BMX racing is a great cycling sport to participate in and watch. There are categories for all ages and abilities. There has been a surge in BMX track building around Britain and overseas.

Clark & Kent Contractors has been at the forefront of BMX track design and construction in recent years and has contributed to developing the UCI's minimum track standards, as well as constructing the track for the 2012 Olympics.

BMX races are held on purpose-built outdoor and indoor tracks across the country. They can be made of compacted dirt, stone, and tarmac.

They are typically 400 metres long and feature a starting hill, banked corners, and various jumps. The Olympic-standard track at Manchester's National BMX Centre was remodelled by Clark & Kent in 2012 to meet top international standards.

BMX is a sport for everyone

But BMX racing doesn't have to take place on high-level tracks like Manchester. Wherever an event is held, riders and the public can be assured of relentless, all-day action that kicks off with qualifying heats, called 'motos', before moving into the knockout and final stages.

Races generally last well under a minute, and riders take off in quick succession, so it's an exciting day of fast and furious sport for everyone. In Britain, there are regional racing leagues and BMX Series events throughout the year, as well as the National BMX Championships.

More on tracks

 Track race standards
 Core riding skills
 Track racing and start gates