An amazing thing happened the weekend of September 12th and 13th at Belltown Throwdown CX. Inclusive racing came in like a wrecking ball. This year marked the first year of PMCX adopting NABRA for rules and insurance.

With the move, participants are not required to hold any license. For organizers, the move significantly reduced insurance costs. Both category and gendered fields are self selected. This offers up not only the option to include more people in the racing, but also the option to go get your legs ripped off if you so choose to, and are confident you can ride safe with more experienced racers. A wide range of fields were on offer, including a novice and 1-4 Non-binary category, a number of Masters options, and a wide array of Junior fields to help get the youth experience up. With the race taking place at a YMCA camp, pre-ride was on offer a day early, and Pros Ellen Noble and Stephen Hyde were on course for a free cross clinic.

Photos throughout are by Matt and Lisa on Day 1 of Belltown CX

With the skills clinic and pre-ride on offer, I was early to the venue on Friday to take advantage of additional practice. The course was largely quiet, but already I spotted a familiar face from the previous year. We exchanged pleasantries and I started getting myself together. As I was starting my warm up, June rolled into the field. We shared a warm smile and a tight embrace after all the events of the last year. With warm up done, we hit the course and gave it a few laps around. Lisa soon joined us, another familiar face, and we chatted over the similarities to last year's Belltown 2 course. The course rhymed, but even some of the hardest chords were strummed a bit different. The run up location was different, the sand either more tame, or all of us more skilled, and the single track took a very different approach. After an hour on course, and the skills clinic in the bank, a bit of relaxation mixed with excitement set in for the line up to come.

Yosef having a bit of fun with Matt during their race (photo by Lisa)

The next day, the course was already abuzz when Karen and I landed. Full of carbs from our stop with Sarahbeth in New Haven at East Rock Breads, and caffeine from neighboring "Coffee Home" Spruce Coffee (equally as inclusive), I made for the reg table, and back to find teammates and more friends rolling in. June introduced Teal and June C-H. A whole crew of Kruisies rolled in, including Amanda. I found Simon, and soon Lisa, Matt, Leah, and Yosef had joined us. With Jacob already at the Kruis tent, our team had arrived. Early racers made for the lines, while we made for the tape, snacks, or pre-race rituals to get us in the spirit.

The dusty rollers in the middle of the course made for an interesting shooting location (photo by Matt)

Eventually, my time slot arrived. The P1/2/3, 40+, 3/4 women, and 1-4 NB fields gathered in their respective call up slots. Everyone was excited. The sun was shining, and the weather was right, if not warmer than some care for in cross. We made jokes and waited for our race instructions. 30 seconds was called and we stilled ourselves for the launch. With a screech of the whistle, we were off for day 1. Much like Belltown 2 - 2025, the opening is largely straight with a few bends before the first features of the course. I slotted in as we lined out the left side of the first straight past the holeshot. With upwards of 6 laps expected for my first 50-minute race, I was not too stressed about my position. We took the first off-camber turn on a hill, then around some bends to the first little power bump. The ease I had found in pre-ride of getting up this bump materialized again, and then it was a short ride down to the next real feature, some techy single track with two line options. In 2025, I lived the B line, but this was A game time, and I put in the line and improved my passage each time I saw it. My transition through the riverbed had improved this year too. I found a few options for fairly smooth fast lines to line up and take a slightly smoother option up onto the rail trail.

Lotte in the “enchanted forest” section of the course on Day 1 (photo by Matt)

After the recovery out of the rail trail corner, it was time to take on the single track. The entrance had moved up and there were some nice drops before more twisty turny, a fun bank you could hook, and the oddest of hairpin exits. Fortunately, I did not forget where to turn in the race, like I repeatedly did in pre-ride. Instead of the long straight to barriers here, the course took us into the tree line and over some rolling uphill clay mounds that were quiet enjoyable to roll over. Out of the top came the majority of the turns in the course after a quick opportunity for recovery in the drop down and behind the amphitheater. I found a solid inside line that had me hook out for the next turn very nicely. I recall losing my rear wheel somewhere along here in 2025, but my turns were more dialed this race. Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Right, Etc, and then the boat landing appeared around a portapotty turn. With a hard right around a tree at the waterfront beach, I scrubbed some speed and then readied my body for the sand. After all the sand at Cross Bay Roubaix, I knew I'd be solid through the sand pit.

The Day 1 barriers followed a descent out of the enchanted forest, making them enticing to hop as demonstrated by Adam Myerson (photo by Matt)

The back side of the beach made for a good power section before dipping back into the trees where we turned off for the run up in 2025. Blessedly, the course designer gave us a bit more course before a relocated run up down to our left. Not as long as the OG run up, but still a feature to keep your focus on. By my third time up the run up the year before, my heart rate was spiked out, and I wasn't sure I'd make it to the line with the same gusto. This year, I had that run up's number, and paced myself well. Probably my favorite feature last year was The Enchanted Forest, and for day 1 of 2026, the same held true. With a nice lane for recovery before a wide turn out of the high line with wonderful conifer scenery, the cool shade made for a good section for the warm afternoon. The barriers had made their way to the base of the ramp out of the forest, which made for a fast lead in. My footwork was much improved this year, and I quickly scrambled onto my bike to press the straight to the finish. And on it went for 5 more laps. Smiles and high fives waited at the finish, and eventually a few slices of pizza lovingly picked up by Lisa for our hungry team.

Jacob started his race hot and managed to hold onto a podium for his race (photo by Matt)

Day 2 looked completely different. The clear forecast promised the week before, had turned to 3 inches of rain as the week wore on toward the event. I did my acceptance early, and had come prepared with warm socks, and a plan of low expectations and safety first in mind. Karen and I filled our bellies with hotel waffles fresh from the iron, and chatted with Charlie about how the day might go. The Flag outside stood at attention, and we knew we had it coming. At the course, racers not trying to squeeze in soggy practice laps, huddled under the large pavilion. We shared snacks and stories while waiting for our chance in the mud. I met Erica and we chatted about gear, while Sarahbeth and Eugenia chatted about injury recovery next to us. Eventually Hannah coaxed me into a pre-ride lap, where I had planned to do none. I was thankful after for a bit of an idea of how the back half of the course would look and steep muddy descent I'd have to drift through.

As usual, the singlespeed racers were best dressed at Belltown CX (photo by Lisa)

Jane and Ellen showed up last minute, and our field grew a bit more. We eventually made for the line. Bill snapped photos as the official gave us our orders. P1/2/3 took a 2 minute lead, then our mixed field took off. My start was fast, but the mud was a whole other story. I slid backwards in the race, but continued my deliberate pace forward. I watched the successful lines of the riders ahead of me, and made for the grippy grass I saw June C-H succeed on. After some slides, both intentional and not, I found my way to firmer ground and off towards the back of the course. First a touch of uphill slog, then back across the rocky rooty path, before diving in to crash through the very full stream bed. I had seen videos before of it, but I had not been so confident about taking it in the race. Sarahbeth said "send it", and so I did, finding it cleared a bit of the mud from my drivetrain in the process.

As usual, the sand pit was a fun feature at Belltown CX (photo by Lisa)

Two turns, and then the run up loomed before me. I had heard the OG runup was large, and the cautioners were not wrong. Quick short steps would take me up the hill and back onto the bike. I drilled it down the rail trail, through more puddles, and took my controlled slide down the back hill. The off camber turn was not rideable, and I opted to clamber down the other side, than take my chances sliding down a second time. I could pick my exit better and make up ground after. After a loop through the amphitheater once more, we did the reverse of the rolling clay hills, but now featuring clay mud! The roller coaster down offered an option for air. Despite Sandy and Teal's dares to "catch air", I opted to keep my wheels as firm as I could this day. There was a long drive home ahead to consider. The second lap included the barriers, and a slog through the now muddy enchanted forest. As we made round the course more, our friends heckled and cheered us. We cheered from field to field at each other, and no one seemed the worse for wear from all the mud in our paths.

We ended Day 1 with attempted hand-ups during the Elite Men’s race. Unfortunately none of the racers took us up on our offer for mid-race pizza.

With the muddy race behind us, we made for the hoses. The field chatted while taking turns with the hose. The rain had stopped and signs of sun were coming through the patches of clouds. We did podiums, and the cheers were resounding, as one of the organizers proclaimed, "I wish we could bottle this kind of excitement to share at every cross race!" After peeling off kit, and finding cleaner clothes, we said our goodbyes.

The question on many minds leading up to the first PMCX weekend has been, What would this return of USAC-less cross look like? By all accounts, it's looking pretty strong. In my humble opinion, the community was out in force. Everyone was sharing moments on and off course, in dry and in wet. With a stronger day 1 reg than either of last year's individual days, and over 100 racers braving Sunday's sometimes torrential conditions, the season at PMCX is looking like exciting, inclusive racing at its best.

We missed photo’s of Simon’s Day 1 podium, but we were there to snag photos of Lotte’s and Jacob’s

For (the much Wetter) Day 2 Action, Photos are available From William Kurtz Photo

Photo Gallery by Lisa and Matt

We’ll have a much larger photo gallery from Belltown Throwdown CX Day 1 posted on the journal in a few days, in the meantime some of our favorites are below. Stay tuned for the full image set shortly!