We are very excited to announce the theme of the IMBA Europe Summit 2025, from 16-18 September, hosted by MTB Kingdoms in Boltaña, Spain. This year’s theme, Connected by Trails: Linking People, Nature, and Prosperity in Rural Areas, reflects the region’s unique historical legacy and highlights mountain biking as a force for regional development in rural areas.
At the 2024 IMBA Europe Summit, we discovered how mountain biking can contribute to peri-urban development, and what challenges mountain bikers face close to the city centres. This year, we leave the towns again and embark on a very different journey.
Our 2025 hosts, the town of Boltaña and the MTB Kingdoms have a special success story. It is a story of resilience in the face of adversity in the Spanish Pyrenees, a region that battled against oblivion in the 20th century. Mountain biking has not only contributed to the transformation of the area into a unique riding destination but also spearheaded a movement to save a unique cultural heritage, a way of life that’s being revitalised—in no small part thanks to mountain biking.
Under the theme “Connected by Trails”, we will explore how mountain biking can support rural development through a systemic approach.
This year’s summit will focus on the intersection of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—and the cultural dimension of our sport. Trail advocates, representatives of tourism operators and boards, industry professionals, researchers, and leaders from the mountain biking community will present, and panel discussions and workshops will be held. We hope the summit will provide an excellent opportunity for everyone in our community to discuss another advocacy-driven dimension of our sport.
For further information about the theme of the 2025 Summit, we recommend you discover the unique story of mountain biking in Boltaña and how the MTB Kingdoms were established, told by Jorge Ruiz de Eguilaz, the founder of Zona Zero. Alternatively, we invite you to a deeper dive into the subthemes of the summit and how each pillar of sustainability will be reflected in the summit’s evolving program. Call for abstracts will open soon if you’d like to be featured in the program of Europe’s premier mountain biking gathering.
