Park City's Haley Batten will race in front of a home crowd when the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup comes to Soldier Hollow in Midway on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20.

It's the first time the elite World Cup series has stopped in Utah, according to Pinkbike, which reported Soldier Hollow's addition to the calendar in late 2025.

Batten, a two-time Olympian and Paris 2024 silver medalist, previewed the race on KPCW's Local News Hour on Thursday, July 24, describing the event as a home race and noting the Soldier Hollow course has been redesigned with new technical features, including rock slabs and jumps.

The 27-year-old rides for Specialized Factory Racing and is coached by three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong. She grew up cycling in Park City, won her first national title at 14, and turned professional at 17. After earning five World Cup medals in 2024, Batten opened her 2026 season with two wins in Valdivia, Chile, in February, taking both the Short Track and XCO events.

At the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, she finished 12th in the Elite Women's XCO race, according to USA Cycling.

The Soldier Hollow stop is part of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which features 14 race weekends over six months with stops at four Olympic venues, according to the UCI's published calendar. The Midway venue will host both Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) events as part of the series' North American leg.

Soldier Hollow already has international racing credentials. The venue hosted the 2024 Pan American Mountain Bike Championships and is slated to host events during the 2034 Salt Lake City Olympics, according to Pinkbike.

Chris Ball, vice president of cycling events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, called Utah "one of the world's premier Cross-country destinations" when the venue was announced for the 2026 calendar.

For Batten, the September race falls on her birthday. She was born September 19, 1998. Races are scheduled for September 19-20 at Soldier Hollow, roughly 30 miles from Park City.