Saturday, 29 August 2026 from 11:00am
Kids Dirt Crit
Knobbly tyres, a 1km loop, and a finish line in the middle of the Festival Village. The explorr Kids Dirt Crit is off-road racing at its most fun: proper racing, real numbers, and a crowd that's genuinely there to watch.
Run in association with Deeside Thistle CC, with British Cycling qualified coaches on hand all morning.
Where: King George V Park, Banchory, Aberdeenshire
What is a Dirt Crit?
Designed with fun in mind, the Dirt Crit is the perfect introduction to off-road racing for young riders. Children will race on a safe, enclosed 1km loop that's suitable for all bikes with knobbly tyres, including mountain bikes, gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes. The course is non-technical, making it ideal for riders of all abilities.
Riders complete as many laps as they can inside their age group's time slot, so nobody gets left behind and everybody keeps racing to the finish. The event starts with a coached lap at 11:00, meaning no rider rolls up to the line without having seen the course first.
Young racers will compete against others in their own age categories, supervised by Deeside Thistle CC British Cycling qualified coaches.
Schedule
Numbers first, then a coached lap, then racing. Here's how the morning runs, and once the last race is done the whole Festival Village is yours for the afternoon.
From 10:00
Registration & Sign-On
Head to the Registration & Info Desk in the Festival Village to collect your bike board and jersey number. Both need to be on the bike and on your rider before racing, so come in good time rather than arriving as the age groups are being called forward.
11:00
Coached lap and race tips
All three age groups head out together for a guided lap of the course with the Deeside Thistle coaches. It's a chance to see every corner before it matters, pick up a few race tips and settle any nerves ahead of the first start.
11:30
Under 8s Race
Ten minutes of racing for our youngest riders. Short, quick and loud, with the whole Festival Village watching them come through.
12:00
Under 10s Race
Fifteen minutes of racing on the same enclosed loop, with a little more time to find a rhythm and race the riders around them. Expect the pace to pick up and the gaps to open.
12:30
Under 12s Race
Twenty minutes of racing and the longest slot of the morning, with the sharpest end of the field going head to head. A proper race, decided over multiple laps in front of a festival crowd.
Ready to race?
Entries are open for the Kids Dirt Crit. A coached lap, a race of their own, and a finish line in the middle of the Festival Village.
Kids Dirt Crit FAQs
Everything you need to know before race day. Key details to help you prepare for the Kids Dirt Crit at explorr.
No. Any bike with knobbly tyres will do, including mountain bikes, gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes. The course is non-technical and suits riders of all abilities.
Not at all. The Dirt Crit is built as an introduction to off-road racing, and the event starts with a coached lap and race tips from the Deeside Thistle coaches before anything is timed.
Ten minutes for Under 8, fifteen minutes for Under 10 and twenty minutes for Under 12.
Yes. A correctly fitted helmet is compulsory for every rider, and bikes should be in good working order with brakes that work properly.
A bike board and a jersey number, both of which must be worn to race. The jersey number carries the timing tag, so it needs to stay on and stay visible for the whole race.
Age groups are taken from a riders age on 1st January 2026, and work in 2-year blocks. The age categories are:
- Category C (Under 12)
- Category D (Under 10)
- Category E (Under 8)
Head to the Info Desk & Registration tent in the Festival Village. That's where you'll collect your bike board and jersey number, and where the team can point you to the start area and answer anything else before racing.
Yes. A parent or guardian should be present throughout the morning. The coaches supervise the racing itself, but this isn't a drop-off session.
Anywhere in the Festival Village. The course starts, finishes in the heart of it and loops around the rest of King George V Park just outside the Festival Village, so you can see your rider come through on every lap without walking the course.
Please do. The Festival Village is free to access, and Saturday is a popular day with the Gravel Stage Race finishing and live music running into the evening.
Yes, we're looking for marshals on Saturday morning. It's a couple of hours, it's a good spot to watch from, and it's what makes the racing possible. Please get in touch at info@deeside.org