It’s mid-January, but the 2010 mountain bike season is approaching fast. Here is a rundown of some of the area races.

First off, one of the premier race series in the East is the Root 66 Race Series. Root 66 consists of 14 cross country races throughout New England. They will also hold a Kenda Cup qualifier held at the Millstone Grind in Websterville, VT. Root 66 will also be the race directors for the Mt Snow Mountain Bike Festival being held July 24-25.

The other New England series is the New England Championship Series sanction by the Eastern Fat Tire Association (EFTA). These races are not affiliated with USA Cycling. EFTA races are a little farther east, primarily in MA, NH, RI and ME.

In New York, we have excellent races on tap. Windham Mountain will be home for the UCI World Cup final race. The World Cup race is being held on August 28-29, the week before the World Cup Championship at Mt Ste Anne, Quebec.

The guys at Darkhorse Cycles in Montgomery, NY have some big plan too for 2010. They have three races scheduled at the Stewart State Forest in New Windsor, NY. First, on April 25, the 2nd Annual Singlespeed-A-Palooza. Last year 250 riders pre-registered, twice as many as expected. Next, with a tentative date of June 20, is the Stewart Sixer 6 hour race. This is a new race for Darkhorse. And finally, the Darkhorse 40 held on August 1. Stewart State Forest is home for some of the finest singletrack in the Catskill Region.

Also in the Catskill Region of New York is the New York State Mountain Bike Series. The 2010 series schedule has not been announce, but I’m sure you cam plan on some great venues like Williams Lake, Walnut Mountain, Riedlbauer’s Resort and Woodstock. Check back to their website for race information.

A new race for the northeast, also being held in the Catskill Region, is the Wildcat Epic 100 stage race. Promoted by Genesis Adventures, the wildcat Epic 100 makes its debut in 2010. This event is a 2 stage, 100 mile mountain bike race. The base camp will be in New Paltz, NY with two 50 mile courses starting and finishing there. The courses will mix fire roads, singletrack, and pavement to create a riding experience unlike any other on the East Coast.

Locally in the Capital District, Heather Rizzi continues to promote several fun events. Mountain bike races are held throughout the year, on or around Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also holds a 6 hr race scheduled for June 6. While there are alot of races around to choose from, this 6 hr race is by far the best race deal you will ever find…ten bucks. That’s right, all that racing for only $10.00. You want to race as a team? $10.00 per rider. How can you pass it up. And finally, Heather’s Hot August Nights Race Series held every Tuesday evening in August. These events are held at Schenectady’s Central Park trails. This trail system is approximately 5 miles of fast rolling 99% singletrack trail.

I don’t want to forget about you downhill crazies. Plattekill Mountain will again hold their Downhill Race Series for downhill and dual slalom. The tentative date can be found here.