World-Class Cycling Returns To Charleston In June  

The 2026 USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships will take place June 16-21 on the streets of Charleston. 

This is the third year the races have come to the capitol city. The races include Elite, Under-23, and Junior 17-18-year-old racers competing in Road Race, Time Trial, and Criterium events.  

In 2024, Taylor Knibb and Brandon McNulty qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Charleston. Knibb earned a Silver Medal in the cycling mixed team relay.  

Race organizers encourage the public to attend. The Expo Center, presented by GoMart, located at City Center at Slack Plaza, will be open Wednesday evening, Thursday evening, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and will feature vendors and live music.  

The Hale Street Watch Zone, located on the corner of Hale and Quarrier, will be available for spectating the Criterium races on Wednesday and Thursday.  

Friday will be an eventful day with the Junior road races and a full day of Juneteenth celebrations, including a parade, a free Live on the Levee concert, and Rolls on the River, a pepperoni roll and beer festival.  

The Wertz Ave Watch Zone will be available to see the U23 and Elite Road Race events on Saturday and Sunday.  

An additional celebration, the Bridge Road Bike Bash, takes place on Sunday, featuring children’s activities and a DJ.  

Spectator information can be found here. 

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, gravel, BMX, esports, and paracycling. 

Daily Awards & Race Schedule: 

Tuesday: Junior Time Trial, U23 Time Trial, Elite Time Trial 

Wednesday: Junior Criterium, U23 Criterium 

Thursday: Elite Criterium 

Friday: Junior Road Race 

Saturday: U23 Road Race 

Sunday: Elite Road Race 

The full race schedule can be found here and course maps can be found here.