Ever thought of being a marshal at a mountain bike or cyclo-cross event?

Off-road marshals are vital to the sport; without them, events in the off-road disciplines would not be possible. If you are interested in being a marshal, this page will help you find out more.

An off-road race marshal is race-facing, they use flags to warn riders of hazards or to stop a race. An off-road race marshal may also answer questions from spectators, or issue instructions to keep the course and security zones clear. However, their main focus is to keep the course clear and safe for the riders.

Responsibilities and duties

Off-road race marshals:

• ensure the course is clear and there are no hazards to riders (or to spectators on or near the course)

• use flags and whistles, during practice and racing, to inform of hazards, or stop riders, as required
• communicate any incidents on the course and report injured riders to the chief marshal
• make repairs to the course as necessary
• check that riders are following the correct route and report any infringements to the chief marshal
• provide basic information to spectators

Appointment, times, and locations

Off-road race marshals accept offers of appointment at events in advance. Events can be nationwide, but appointments are usually made locally. Events are usually on weekends or evenings; however, larger events may be held over multiple days including weekdays. Off-road race marshals perform their role before, during and after an event in conjunction with the event organiser, other commissaires or officials, and event support personnel as required.

Event insurance

Event officials benefit from liability cover under British Cycling’s liability insurance for registered events. Further details can be found here.

Off-road marshal briefing video

Further guidance on being an off-road marshal can be found in the off-road marshal guidelines.

Get involved

For more information and to get involved, please contact your local sport developer or events officer.

Alternatively, you can use our events tool to look up events coming up nearby and contact the organiser to see if they need an extra pair of hands.