Jack Ward and Rebecca Henderson have again made the short-course national crowns their own, defending their elite titles at the 2026 GWM Mountain Bike National Championships at Mt Buller.
The 900-metre circuit, weaving through the heart of the event village, delivered fast and aggressive racing that kept riders on edge from the starting whistle.
In the elite women’s race, there were some new faces to challenge the Henderson reign. Sarah Tucknott set the tone, driving the pace in the opening laps.
It was a frenetic start in the elite women short-track.
Henderson was measured early but didn’t wait long to make her move.
“The girls got off to a really cracking start,” Henderson said. “I started to push harder than I wanted to go and thought if I want to beat Sarah, I need to stretch out.”
Within a couple of laps, she lifted the tempo and quickly opened a gap that no-one could match.
Rebecca Henderson would ride solo to the finish line.
From there, the Canberra Off-Road Cycling Club athlete went clear to add another national title and Australian jersey to her collection.
“Short-track never really feels good on the legs, so it’s about making peace with that, especially with Sunday in mind,” said Henderson, looking ahead to the weekend’s cross-country Olympic race, where she will be targeting an unprecedented 13th consecutive elite national title.
Tucknott held on for the silver with Katriina Dower filling out the podium in third.
The under-23 women’s race saw a shift at the top, with Ruby Dobson stepping up from silver in 2025 to claim gold ahead of defending champion Ella Meningoz.
Dobson made her move early and rode clear to cross the line with a decisive margin.
April Foster completed the podium.
U23 women podium.
In her first year in the Under 19’s, Alana Fletcher brought the Bendigo Mountain Bike Club fans to their feet as she took out the XCC crown.
Attention then turned to a stacked elite men’s field to close out the day.
Ward didn’t have it all his own way early.
19-year-old Harry Doye, stepping up to the elite level for the first time, along with experienced campaigners Tasman Nankervis and Cameron Ivory, ensured the pace stayed high and the pressure constant.
Elite men hit the short-track course.
But the race turned on lap 11.
Ward launched a decisive attack and quickly put daylight between himself and the rest.
It was a move that broke the race open and set up a familiar finish, as the Victorian rolled through to defend his title.
Jack Ward celebrates his XCC win in style.
“The first half I was just trying to chill out,” Ward said post-race.
“I waited for the right moment, then launched on that one lap and took it from there.”
Behind him, Doye and Nankervis fought it out for the remaining podium spots.
The elite debutant edged clear on the final lap to secure silver, with Nankervis taking bronze.
In the under-23's, Reuben Page-Brown put in impressive performance, at one point leading the entire field before ending up in a sprint finish with fellow Tasmanian Oliver Johnston.
Reuben Page-Brown interviewed post race.
Earlier, Connor Wright again showed he is a force in the format as the West Australian built an impressive lead from the start to reclaim the junior title he won 12 months earlier.
RESULTS
XCC – ELITE MEN
🥇 Jack Ward (Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers)
🥈 Harry Doye (Red Hill Riders MTBC)
🥉 Tasman Nankervis (Bendigo & District CC)
XCC – ELITE WOMEN
🥇 Rebecca Henderson (Canberra Off-Road Cycling)
🥈 Sarah Tucknott (Perth Mountain Bike Club)
🥉 Katriina Dower (Geelong Mountain Bike Club)
XCC – U23 MEN
🥇 Reuben Page-Brown (Hobart Wheelers/Dirt Devils CC)
🥈 Oliver Johnston (Hobart Wheelers/Dirt Devils CC)
🥉 Eddie Willis (Tamworth CC)
XCC – U23 WOMEN
🥇 Ruby Taylor (Hawthorn Cycling Club)
🥈 Ella Meningoz (RATS Cycling Club)
🥉 Ruby Dobson (Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club)
XCC – JUNIOR MEN
🥇 Connor Wright (South West Mountain Bike Club)
🥈 Noah Crispe (Warnambool Mountain Bike Club)
🥉 Oliver Grande (Canberra Off-Road Cyclists)
XCC – JUNIOR WOMEN
🥇 Alana Fletcher (Bendigo Mountain Bike Club)
🥈 Freya Buckmaster (Hobart Wheelers/Dirt Devils CC)
🥉 Amaya Shaw (Hunter Mountain Bike Association)
Full results can be found here.
Photos: Matt Rousu Photography