Park City's Haley Batten is back on local trails, logging daily rides to prepare for the first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup ever held in Utah. The race is set for Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, at Soldier Hollow in Midway.

Batten, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist who rides for Specialized Factory Racing, started her 2026 World Cup season in May in South Korea before racing across Europe. She returned home to Park City to train on familiar terrain ahead of the Soldier Hollow event, as KPCW reported Tuesday, July 28.

Batten said on KPCW's "Local News Hour" on Friday, July 24, that the trails have been great and she's been enjoying daily training blocks at home.

The 27-year-old Park City native began cycling at age 9 on the same trails she's riding to prepare. Her Paris silver medal was Team USA's first in Olympic mountain biking, earned after she overcame a broken wheel mid-race to chase back into medal contention.

As we reported July 24, the Soldier Hollow World Cup marks a milestone for Utah cycling. Batten offered new details about what spectators can expect from the course, which features natural rock slabs, man-made rock gardens, and jumps redesigned with new technical features.

The course loops back on itself multiple times, giving fans views from several sections. VIP ticket holders will be able to see nearly 360 degrees of the entire course from the top of a building at the venue, according to Batten.

The race will also be televised, though broadcast details have not been announced.

Batten said the event brings together her two worlds: elite international competition and the community where she fell in love with the sport.

"This is the world that I love, the highest level of my sport. But also, I get to bring that to the community that made me fall in love with this sport," she told KPCW. "So for me, it's like my two worlds coming together, which is honestly a dream come true. And I never thought it would happen in my career."

After Soldier Hollow, Batten will close her 2026 season in October in Lake Placid, New York. Tickets and event information are available at ucimtbworldseries.com.