Chicago Cyclocross Cup: 2026 Schedule, Categories and Entry Rules

Cyclocross is the fall and winter race season: riders lap a short mixed-terrain course, hop barriers and run what they cannot ride. The Chicago Cyclocross Cup stitches a string of local races into one points series. This page covers the current calendar and the rules you need to line up. It sits in the events section.

What cyclocross is

Cyclocross courses mix grass, pavement, hills, dirt and barricades that force riders into a partial run each lap⁴. The sport began in Europe as a way for road cyclists to stay in shape during the off-season⁴. The series calls the race viewer friendly: riders circle a closed circuit on park property, and no road closures are needed⁴.

Who runs the series

The Chicago Cyclocross Cup was started in 2004 by a group of cross racers from local teams who wanted to race in their neighborhoods¹. Joe Doyle led the series in 2004 and 2005, Robert Sliwinski from 2006 to 2008, and Jason Knauff has led it since 2009¹. Each race has a local host, is held under a USA Cycling permit, and its results go to the USA Cycling database for upgrade points^2,4.

The 2026 schedule

The 2026 schedule lists ten races, held Sundays rain, snow or shine unless noted, and race dates and locations can change at the last minute². The season opened with Glenwood Academy CX on September 26 and 27 and Lords Park CX, a new venue in Elgin, on October 4; Big Marsh on September 20 was cancelled². The rounds still ahead:

Date	Race	Host
October 25	ABD Sycamore Speedway	Athletes By Design2
November 1	Campton Cross, a Halloween race	Guaranteed Rate Cycling2
November 7 and 8	Groundhog Psi-clocross; Illinois State Championships on the 8th	PSIMET2
November 22	Quarry Cross at The Forge	EMC22
December 6	Montrose Beach	Half Acre Cycling2

An awards party follows in January 2027, on a date still to be set at Specialized Chicago Fulton Market². The series took two weeks off after Lords Park, including Marathon weekend on October 11, when the schedule points riders to Screw City CX in Rockford^2,3.

A race day

Races start early and run through the afternoon². The 2026 order:

• 8:00 a.m.: Men Masters 35+ and 55+, 40 minutes²
• 9:50 a.m.: Open Single Speed and Junior 15-18, 35 minutes²
• 11:25 a.m.: Junior 9-14, 25 minutes²
• 12:20 p.m.: Men Cat 3/4, 45 minutes²
• 1:20 p.m.: Women Cat 1/2 and Cat 3/4, 50 minutes²
• 2:25 p.m.: Men Cat 1/2/3, 60 minutes²
• 3:40 p.m.: Men Cat 4 and Cat 5, 30 minutes²

Registering

Online pre-registration closes at midnight Central on the Friday evening before each race. There are no exceptions and no refunds². Day-of registration costs $10 extra, opens at 7:00 a.m. and is by cash or check only at most races². Registration for each category closes 30 minutes before its start².

When a category fills, BikeReg opens a wait list. Wait lists stay closed until the category or its combined category has filled⁴.

Categories and licenses

New racers start as Cat 5⁴. Only Cat 5 riders may race on a one-day license, and everyone else needs a USA Cycling annual license⁴. You must race your actual USA Cycling cyclocross category, not up and not down⁴. A Cat 5 rider has a mandatory upgrade after 10 races or 10 points in 12 months⁴. Cyclocross age is your age on December 31 of the year the CX World Championships are held, which for the 2026 season is 2027^4,2.

Series points and staging

Riders earn points for placing first through 30th, and a rider must race at least half the races to win the overall title⁴. Riders who upgrade mid-season keep half their points, but only if they upgrade before the race that is one third plus one of the way through the season⁴. In 2026 the deadline to upgrade and keep half your points is the ABD Sycamore Speedway race³. Podiums go to the top 3 in each category⁴.

At the start, the first row of 8 is staged by series points, then by CrossResults.com rank, then by registration order⁴. Report to staging no more than 10 minutes before the start, where racers line up in eight starting lanes, each 75 cm wide⁴.

The Montrose Beach finale

The finale, race number 10, is December 6, 2026 at Montrose Beach, hosted by Half Acre Cycling^2,5. In 2024 it doubled as the Illinois State CX Championship⁵. Expect wind off the lake: the 2024 course notes warned riders to secure their tents⁵. The series adds individual course maps closer to race dates².

Where it fits

The season overlaps the end of the road calendar. For summer racing, see our Intelligentsia Cup and Chicago Grit guide, and for everything else on the calendar, the events calendar. Riders who want a regular training ride before the first race can start with the group rides guide.