The St. Albert BMX Association hosted the 2025 Canadian BMX Championships this weekend, bringing hundreds of athletes and spectators to the city’s Olympic-calibre track.
The Canadian BMX Championships took place on Saturday, Aug. 23, followed by the Canada Cup Final and Alberta Cup #9 on Sunday, Aug. 24.
On Aug. 21, at a media release at the St. Albert BMX track, Alberta Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko said events like the BMX championship highlights both athletic achievement and economic benefits.
“These championships are expected to attract more than 800 participants, over 2,000 spectators,” Boitchenko said. “For every dollar the province invests to support hosting the event, we’re seeing more than $7 being reinvested into our local economy.”
The Government of Alberta provided $55,000 to support the championships, part of nearly $900,000 in funding for nine national and international sporting events across Alberta this year.
Racers took to St. Albert’s new BMX track, unveiled last year and built with the help of a $550,000 provincial grant and a $50,000 grant from the City of St. Albert. The facility features an Olympic-level eight-metre start hill, as well as a five-metre hill for amateur riders, making it possible for them to hold high-level events.
MLA for Morinville-St. Albert and Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally called the facility one of the top five BMX development centres in the world.
“To have a facility of this quality and to welcome a national championship in our own backyard is something that we can all take pride in,” said Nally. “But this is more than bricks, dirt and track design. Sports builds stronger communities, it keeps our kids active, brings families together and inspires the next generation of athletes that we're celebrating today.”
Kyle Reiling, president of the St. Albert BMX Association, expressed gratitude for all the work that has gone into making the track and the upcoming championships possible.
He credited the board, volunteers and community partners for “countless hours” of effort over the past three years, adding that seeing Olympian Molly Simpson support the project has inspired younger riders.
“There's world-class riders that are now developing, and they're seeing Molly on the world scale and the world stage, and they're saying, ‘Hey, she can do it. I can do it’. And now they have the facility to be able to train and push them to the next level,” said Reiling.
For Olympian Simpson is an eight-time Canadian champion who placed fifth at the Paris 2024 Games. Before the event she said she looked forward to the championships.
“It’s going to be a super-fun weekend," she said. "And Canadian national champs is one of my favourite races. Usually, I’m on the road, travelling racing, world champs, world cups, and so it’s amazing to have this race here in Alberta.”
Simpson added the St. Albert facility gives young riders opportunities to train at the highest level.
“We have our grassroot athletes and young individuals who now have the opportunity to train and perform and also maybe shoot for the stars and head to the Olympic Games or be world champion or whatever they want to be," she said. "They now have the opportunity to do that because of this amazing facility."
The championships will feature riders of all ages, from seasoned competitors to the youngest newcomers.
Brady Mitschke, 14, who has competed in the world championships three times, said before the event he felt good about the upcoming competition.
“I’m the defending champ for my age,” he said. “So I feel pretty good about it.”
He said being familiar with the track is an advantage.
“It’s so awesome to see all these people come to your home track and race it, when you race it all the time too,” Mitschke said. “You get to see other people ride it and see how they ride it,” he said.
His goal was to finish in the top eight, which would qualify him for the next world championships.
“Obviously, the main goal is to win, but top eight is like what I need,” said Mitschke.
Twelve-year-old Konrad Hansen, who has been racing for three years, also felt ready for the challenge.
“It’s a brand new track, and it’s a really good track … it’s like an Olympic-style track, so I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “So I do have home track advantage. I've been working really hard and so I'm pretty ready for nationals.”
Younger riders were also gearing up. Eight-year-old Garren Archibald said he was “just excited to ride the track with a whole bunch of people,” while five-year-old Zoey Stadnyt, the youngest St. Albert competitor, said she couldn't wait simply “to race.”
Lindsay Archibald, who competes in the 40-plus women’s class, said she was nervous and excited for the competition.
She has two sons in the sport, and the event is a family affair. She said competing and practising in St. Albert will give kids an advantage in the future.
“It's pretty incredible to have this [track] in our backyard,” said Archibald. “I think of the kids and the younger generations that this is a track that they're going to be learning on, and going to any other track, it's going to be easy for them to ride.”
For full results, visit the Alberta BMX website at: https://our.sqorz.com/org/abmx.
