CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships return to Charleston in less than three months and volunteers helping with the competition are going to be treated well.
The Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Monday that West Virginia American Water is sponsoring the event’s Volunteer Program.
“West Virginia American Water and their sponsorship of the Volunteer Program elevates that volunteer experience. Every volunteer not only gets a free t-shirt, but every volunteer gets fed. The volunteers are so critical to the success of this race; we want to make the experience as good as possible,” Charleston CVB President and CEO Tim Brady said.
Race volunteers serve as course marshals, posted at key locations around the city to direct riders, monitor course and rider safety, ensure fair play, and manage pedestrian and bike traffic. Brady said the competition can’t happen without them.
“They’re the ones that keep spectators from going out onto the course as the race is going by so that job is just so critical to the success overall of the event,” he said.
2026 marks the third year in a five-year partnership between USA Cycling and the city of Charleston to host the Pro Road National Championships. According to Brady, bringing the event back each year makes it easier to recruit volunteers.
“Volunteer recruitment becomes a little bit easier because it’s a known entity. It’s a known quantity. People know exactly what volunteering entails, so I think the fact that this is now a returning event makes it a little bit easier,” he said.
This year’s Pro Road National Championships are scheduled to run from June 16 to 21. With that first day closing in, excitement is building and plans for the week are coming together.
“In 85 days, Charleston becomes one big cycling race course and, really, the epicenter of cycling nationally and, in a lot of ways, internationally,” Brady said.