Richmond Gets $70K Grant for First Mountain Bike Trails

Richmond will build its first purpose-built mountain bike trail system after securing a $70,000 grant from Shimano's Trail Born Fund. KYMBA Bluegrass and the Madison County Mad Hatters mountain bike team announced the award this week.

The MadCATR Trail project will create up to 6.7 miles of singletrack at the sports complex near the interstate. The system will host Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League races and serve as a training venue for student-athletes across the region.

Shimano selected MadCATR from applications across North America, choosing projects that expand cycling access and improve trail sustainability. The City of Richmond partnered with KYMBA Bluegrass, a volunteer chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, and the Mad Hatters to develop the proposal.

The Mad Hatters compete in the Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League. The new trails will give the team a home venue for training and racing, while KYMBA Bluegrass will build and maintain the system.

More information is available at KYMBABluegrass.org.