Kate Courtney, Gee Atherton and Tiffany Cromwell are among the international talent set to battle it out in Monterey, CA, as the Life Time Sea Otter Classic event weekend and cycling festival returns for its 36th annual edition.
The Life Time Sea Otter Classic takes place at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey on April 16–19, 2026. The event features star-studded rosters across more than six disciplines, ranging from the Dual Slalom to the elite gravel race.
The downhill and gravity events will see mountain biking royalty take centre stage. Gee Atherton, a two-time world champion from the United Kingdom, is offering up his ‘legendary grit’ to the Downhill Elite Race. The Dual Slalom course will also see fan favourites Wyn Masters and Ed Masters from New Zealand go head-to-head.
Other international stars in the gravity disciplines include Anneke Beerten from the Netherlands, a three-time UCI four-cross World Champion, and Martha Gill from the UK, a former U21 Enduro World Series Champion and 2018 Sea Otter Classic Elite Dual Slalom victor.
Jono Jones (UK) will compete in both the Men’s Elite Downhill and Enduro, while Cody Kelley from the US enters the Dual Slalom and Downhill Elite races.
The elite gravel field features one of the most international rosters to date, according to Life Time. Notable additions include Tokyo 2020 Olympian and 2018 UCI Cross-Country World Champion Kate Courtney.
The Californian native, who recently took a victory at the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB, will tackle the Sea Otter Classic Gravel and Fuego XL races.
She is joined by Tiffany Cromwell, a veteran of the road WorldTour representing CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto. The Australian rider previously won the Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 100 in 2025.
The gravel line-up also includes:
- Sofía Gómez Villafañe;
- Cecily Decker;
- Cameron Jones;
- Keegan Swenson; and
- Peta Mullens, a multiple-time Australian National Champion
In the Fuego XL event, Sarah Lange, who secured a silver medal at the 2025 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships, will compete alongside Emma Langley and endurance specialist Taylor Lideen.
The Life Time Sea Otter Classic is a four-day celebration of cycling featuring over 1,000 brands, 6,000 athletes, 70,000 attendees and almost 6,500 campers. Life Time, the company behind the festival, operates more than 185 athletic country clubs across the US and Canada and manages more than 30 athletic events. Full start lists for each race in Monterey will be released on April 15, 2026.
