The wild and wonderful world of cyclo-cross racing returns to Fayetteville for a new weekend-long festival at Centennial Park October 14-16, 2022! OZCX will be the fourth UCI sanctioned event held in Fayetteville in 2022, and our favorite Bike City’s second consecutive year hosting a cyclo-cross World Cup.
Featuring a spectator-friendly, purpose-built, world-class cyclo-cross racecourse, the OZCX weekend boasts a full schedule of amateur and community events alongside USA Cycling and UCI sanctioned races. Quite possibly the most exhilarating form of racing around, cyclo-cross events are specifically designed to accommodate spectators and give them incredible vantage points – especially when you see them right here in Northwest Arkansas at Centennial Park in Fayetteville!
The OZCX weekend of cyclo-cross festivities kicks off Friday, October 14th with professional OZCX UCI C1 races. While participation in UCI sanctioned cyclo-cross races is limited to cyclo-cross athletes competing in select categories and age groups, Friday will offer fans the first opportunity to catch the return of international elite cyclo-cross racing to Fayetteville! For those ready to jump right in themselves, pull on your costumes and get ready to sprint toward glory. Inspired by the exciting sprint finishes common at Centennial Park and its permanent stretch of tarmac, participants in the OZCX Street Sprints will pedal toward the same famous finish line that crowned the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Champions.
Saturday, October 15th will feature a full day of USA Cycling sanctioned cyclo-cross racing for all ages. Kids ages 2-11 are invited to join in the fun and dress as their favorite princess, hero, or monster to take on a cyclo-cross inspired course as they compete in the OZCX Kids Cross races. Amateur racers are encouraged to register and experience for themselves the powerline climb, towering stairs, white-knuckle descents, and Stonehenge-like features made famous by Marianne Vos, Tom Pidcock, and the athletes that competed in this past January’s 2022 Walmart UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships! In true cyclo-cross fashion, Saturday’s community event will embrace the wacky and wild for the OZCX Walmart Corporate and Community Relay Races. The amusing race format will pit co-ed teams head to head on a shortened course for an exciting relay-style event sure to create plenty of memories and laughs - all in costume, of course!
The weekend of family-friendly fun culminates on Sunday, October 16th for the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Fayetteville. Professional athletes from 25+ nations will have the opportunity to follow in the path of greatness, lining up along the very same start line that saw last year’s winners chasing rainbows! Ahead of the World Cup, another round of USA Cycling sanctioned and UCI cyclo-cross races will open the final day at Centennial Park.
OZCX Weekend Race Schedule
Friday, October 14
OZCX UCI C1 Cyclo-cross Races
Saturday, October 15
OZCX USAC Amateur Cyclo-cross Races
OZCX Kids Cross
Walmart Corporate CX Relays
Sunday, October 16
OZCX USAC Amateur Cyclo-cross Races
2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup
For new spectators, you’ll find a welcoming cycling culture that caters to both the serious and the silly! Professional racing will happen alongside enthusiastic costumed fans, and you’re not unlikely to find a donut dangling over the racecourse. The track itself is an obstacle-loaded circuit style course designed to put lively fans right in the middle of the action. Fans are treated to up-close views as participants tackle feature-filled racecourses consisting of shin-high barriers, towering stairs, steep hills, and even sand pits! Held rain or shine, the chance of wind, rain, mud, or even snow just adds to the fun when it comes to cyclo-cross racing.
While the event weekend is ticketed (all attendees must have a valid ticket to enter) – in lieu of traditional purchases, organizers are accepting donations on behalf of Arkansas Children’s Network to secure General Admission tickets. A limited number of weekend VIP ticket packages are available, which grant you access to an elevated and all-inclusive finish line experience for all three days of competition. Tickets are available now!
Amateur racers that travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas for OZCX will be in awe of the course at Centennial Park. The spectator-friendly 3 Kilometer (1.75 Mile) purpose-built cyclo-cross racecourse is nicknamed “Chasing Gold”, and is currently the only of its kind in the United States. Course features include Electric Avenue – an aggressive mountainside climb, the 39 Climb – a towering staircase of 39 Belgium-style steps, and Fayetteville’s own Stonehenge – a unique finish line feature known for its double horseshoe design. If you’re ready to find your best costumes and bring your favorite cycling buddy along, you can register to race here.
The 2022 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup – Fayetteville race is expected to draw the sport’s top athletes from around the globe and thousands of fans back to Fayetteville for a weekend of internationally televised cyclo-cross racing at Centennial Park - and we sure hope you’ll be one of them!
All proceeds from the OZCX community events benefit Arkansas Children’s Northwest and the nationally recognized pediatric care they provide for residents of Northwest Arkansas. To learn more about the OZCX festival and stay up-to-date with all the cyclo-cross news, please visit cyclocrossfayettevillear.com.
