The talented youngster will be one of the leading contenders set to compete in the short-course cross-country event at this weekend’s MAC 10 challenge.

The short-course race is a first for the annual event, which will be hosted by Albury Council on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s challenge features 10 events, ranging from the multisport challenge to hand cycling and rogaining.

Moloney, who has been racing for five years, said the short course was much faster and more intense than a standard cross-country race.

“It’s all or nothing,” the Albury-Wodonga Mountain Bikers Club short-track champion said.

“It’s only 15 minutes, compared to a two-hour cross-country course, so it’s not so much an endurance event — you go out as hard as you can for as long as you can.”

Cross-country events co-ordinator for the Albury-Wodonga Mountain Bikers Danny King has designed the race course, which features logs for bikes to hop over, a hay-bale jump and tight corners.

“It’s going to suit people who haven’t ridden much at all, right through to elite riders,” King said.

“We’ll have different grades, from A to D, plus a junior category for under-16s.”

Meanwhile, reigning one-mile dash champion Adam Byles said he was looking forward to defending his title, with the Albury distance runner labelling the MAC 10 event the highlight of his sporting calendar.

“I think it’s fantastic, I look forward to it all year,” he said.

“You can get multi-discipline athletes who you wouldn’t normally compete against and the prize money makes things more interesting.

“It encourages some really good quality to the competition.”

For more information on MAC 10, visit multisportalburycity. com.au or call the council on (02) 6023 8761.