Mountain biking will take place at Elancourt Hill, the highest point in the Paris region, at the upcoming Olympic Games. Read on for details about how the men's and women's races will work at Paris 2024.

The fields for men's and women's mountain biking will each have 36 riders. Each country is limited to a maximum of two men and two women.

The mountain biking event consists of one single race for each gender. All riders start at the same time and complete multiple laps though a course full of rough, hilly terrain. The first rider to cross the finish line after completing the required number of laps wins the gold medal.

The exact number of laps will be announced the day before each competition, but races generally last one to two hours.

Riders must allow any faster rider to overtake them without obstructing them, and if a rider exits the course for any reason, they must enter between the same two course markers from which they exited.

If a rider is lapped, or slower than 80% of the race leader’s time, that rider will be removed from the course.

Learn the rules and competition formats for other cycling disciplines at the Paris Olympics.