THE MID-ATLANTIC BICYCLE RACING ASSOCIATION
Pay Adjustment for Officials at MABRA Events
At the 2026 MABRA annual meeting, member clubs unanimously approved new compensation guidelines for race officials (i.e. commissaires) working in the MABRA region, effective February 1, 2026. The new guidelines ensure the lowest paid officials receive at least the Maryland minimum wage of $15/hour, with pay for other officials also scaled up proportionally. Full details and justification for the policy can be found here.
Scope: The adjustment applies to all USA Cycling–sanctioned events meeting any of the following criteria: (1) any portion of the event takes place in MABRA’s territory; (2) the event takes place outside MABRA’s territory but officiating assignments are handled by MABRA; (3) the event is part of a MABRA-sponsored or supported series; (4) the event receives any form of MABRA subsidy.
Guidelines: The new pay structure increases the Full-Day (Between 4 and 9 hour) official’s fees by $45 to the amounts shown in the following table:
Full-Day (Between 4 and 9 Hour) Commissaires Fees
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This policy does not change USA Cycling’s current rates for half-day events (less than 4 hours), mileage reimbursement, overtime, site visits, or other standard policies regarding officiating fees and compensation. For reference, the current USAC fee structure can be found here.
Subsidy to Race Directors: The MABRA Board of Directors will help mitigate the first- and second-year financial impact of the higher pay rate on race directors (directors must request the support): In 2026, it will offset 50% of the total cost increase, by setting a 2026 MABRA reimbursement for full day events of $22.50 per official per event day. In 2027, it will reimburse 25% of the total cost increase, by setting a 2027 MABRA reimbursement for full day events of $11.25 per official per event day. Officials already compensated directly by MABRA (e.g., through apprenticeship programs or other subsidies) should not be included in this reimbursement.
Event Types Chief Referee Chief Judge Other Commissaires
National-level Events $245 $185 $160
Other Events $185 $155 $135
Rider Fees
Effective January 12, 2025, the fee shall be $2 for regular racing events and $1 for training races, and shall be collected for each race a racer registers for in an event regardless of whether or not they actually compete in the event. All race directors of USA Cycling-sanctioned competitive events taking place in MABRA's territory must collect this fee at the time riders register for an event and must then pay the fees collected to MABRA after the event. Failure to pay the fee is a violation of the USA Cycling contract event directors sign and could result in MABRA asking USA Cycling to refuse to sanction your event in future years.
The applies to any competitive bicycle racing events held within the geographic region of MABRA and from all such events held outside the geographical region of MABRA that: (1) use equipment owned by MABRA; (2) are promoted or co-promoted by a member of the corporation; (3) are part of an officially-sanctioned MABRA overall competition series (e.g., MABRA Road Series); or (4) are MABRA Championship events. Fees will not be collected from any event or portion of an event that is permitted as a fun race, training race exclusively for junior racers, or other noncompetitive event.
Incentives for Road Event Race Directors
MABRA is offering the following incentives for Road Event race directors:
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For road events that have an equitable race schedule, MABRA will reimburse the event the cost of the Chief Ref's fee (not including mileage.) We consider a race event to have an equitable race schedule if it includes at least one men’s and one women's race field that does not include Pro/Cat 1 racers or ift it is a Junior’s only event. For training races, the men and women's fields can be combined to qualify.
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50% reimbursement for Moto insurance fees.
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Reimbursement up to $500 per time trial event for those USAC sanctioned time trials that use electronic timing. A maximum of $1500 is available across all TT events for this program.
Incentives for Cyclocross Race Directors
MABRA will provide up to 14 rolls of course tape per event day for USA Cycling sanctioned cyclocross events. Event directors can purchase extra tape at MABRA's cost. We normally provide 7 rolls of white tape and 7 rolls of red however can provide all of one color at the request of an event. All tape will be available for pickup EITHER at Dave Provine's service course OR by prior arrangement at select race events.
MABRA completed the purchase of the equipment trailers from Potomac Velo Club and Chip Sovak in 2022. As a result of this purchase the trailer rental rate has been lowered from $250 to $150 per event. Each of the equipment trailers will be stocked with at least 900 plastic step-in stakes, a regulations sized set of double barriers, a set of barriers of a lil Belgian's race course, a five place set of podium boxes, four pit flags, four bike racks, four chairs, four tables and four MABRA branded feather flags for marking course crossings.