Race weekends: how they work, what to bring, and how to pitch in
Race weekends are the highlight of the season: part competition, part camping trip, part team party. If it's your first one, here's what to expect, what to bring, and how it all works.
Need details for a specific race? Dates, venues, flyers, course maps, schedules, and the quick volunteer signup all live on the 2026 Races page. Keep scrolling here for the big picture: how racing works, what a weekend looks like, what to bring, and how to help.
The Shredhawks race in the Indiana Interscholastic Cycling League, part of NICA (the National Interscholastic Cycling Association). Races are held at parks across Indiana, and every rider on the team can race. There's no bench and no tryouts.
Riders race in ability-based categories, not by grade level. Coaches help place each athlete in the category that gives them the right mix of challenge and achievement, and the number of laps varies by category. On race day, categories go out in waves, each with its own start time and a "pull time" (when the course closes for that wave). Middle schoolers and high schoolers race in separate categories, and everyone who crosses the line scores points for themselves and the team.
Race day waves (typical order): Middle School Boys race first in the morning, Girls High School & Middle School race late morning, and High School Boys race early afternoon. Exact times are in each race's flyer.
New this year: the JV1 and JV2 girls categories are combined into a single category with one podium.
Races are two-day weekends: Saturday is for pre-riding the course and hanging out with the team, and Sunday is race day. Here's the usual flow:
Watch the clock, literally. Our venues are in Indiana and a couple sit in the Central time zone, an hour behind Michigan. Every race flyer lists its schedule in venue-local time, so double-check before you plan your drive.
Every race varies a little, and the race flyer always has the exact times, but a typical weekend runs about like this (venue-local time):
Times below are typical, based on this season's race flyers. Always confirm against the flyer for your race on the 2026 Races page.
Here's the honest truth: race weekends run on parent support. Every family grabbing one small thing is what keeps the weekend easy and fun for everyone, and we genuinely love the help.
Signing up takes about 30 seconds. Every upcoming race on the 2026 Races page has a "Pitch in for this race" section. Open it, pick something that's still open (water jugs, taco night items, the team canopy, paper goods), tap Sign up, and enter your name and email. That's it. You'll get a confirmation right away and a reminder a few days before the race.
Already-covered items show who has them, so you can see at a glance what still needs a home. Items marked "bring your own" are just a heads-up that every family packs their own.
League volunteer slots are a separate thing: course marshal and event roles organized by the league, mostly covered by our coaches. Parents are always welcome to grab one too (marshaling is one of the best seats in the house). Each race's league signup link is also on the 2026 Races page.
Questions, or want to help in a way that isn't on the list? Send us a note and we'll find your piece.
The league keeps these documents up to date, so they're always worth checking as the season goes on:
Dates, venues, flyers, course maps, and volunteer signups for every race this season.
See the 2026 Races