 Penrith 13-14th September 2008
In 2007 the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series joined the Cumbria Bike Fest near Penrith for one of the biggest cycling events of the 2007 calendar. For 2008 the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series will go at it alone and create the Penrith round of the series. After last years controversial course which was heavily affected by last minute changes. The 2008 event will keep its unique appeal while giving the less skilled and experienced riders the chance to discover the fantastic riding Cumbria has to offer.
The Penrith round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series will take place on the 13-14th September and will pitch up camp at the same location as last years’ Bikefest – the Lowther Deer Park, near Penrith.
We have again teamed up with Chris Ford from CycleActive, the Penrith based independent cycle holiday and mountain bike training company, who will go out and create a course which will set itself apart from the other courses of the series while showing off all the best bits of the area. Chris who is also involved in the skills course we offer throughout the marathon series brings huge amount of experience and local knowledge on board and will focus on the feedback we received after the 2007 event.
Check the news section for regular updates on the course so that you can choose the ideal one for you.
The Lowther Deer Park, where the whole event is based and where the GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportive and the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon will be started from and finish at will be signposted from every direction from Friday afternoon onwards and will stay open for the campers till Monday morning. So if you want to make a long weekend of it – this is your chance.
GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportives
Same as at the Builth Wells (Summer), Ruthin and Selkirk event the Penrith round of the Merida Bikes Series will also have something for the road riders out there by adding the GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportive. The road sportive is run on the Saturday of the event weekend with an open start from early in the morning onwards. Following the huge trend of non-competitive road events the GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportives are trying to set themselves apart from the rest by offering a high quality event package with outstanding courses and first class support around the course plus all inclusive camping, parking, facilities, event meal and finisher present…pretty much the same deal the riders of the marathon series have been enjoying since the very beginning.
The road sportives will have two courses on offer – an approx. 80-100mile and approx. 40-50mile loop. The GORE BIKEWEAR Sportives are run very similarly to the Merida marathons by being one loop events with the start and finish being in the same location as the event village, registration and event camping. Due to legal reasons the Sportives will be started in small waves of riders at set intervals. The start will open at a certain time and will stay open for approximately 2 hours to give everybody the chance to have a relaxing start at the time of their choosing.
The courses are fully marked but every rider will get a small ‘backup map’ given in case that marking is not 100% clear or gets damaged or removed. Around the course our energy food sponsor High5 will be present with energy drinks, bars, and gels as well as with bananas and water. Alongside the energy backup, mechanics will be out there to help everybody with any technical problems. The feeding stations are normally between 25-35miles apart but should not be relied upon as the sole source of your food and drink.
Once you’ve managed to complete your ride and come over the finish line make sure you don’t just race past the commentator and the timing crew as you would miss out on your unique finisher present and on your chances of getting one of the many spot prizes that we will give away again.
Camping, registration and start time:
Camping will be available (included in the entry fee) from Friday night through to Monday morning near the start and finish in Penrith.
Start times:
- The Merida Bikes MTB Marathon ride will start at 9.30am (30 minutes earlier than the other sounds of the series) on Sunday the 14th September '08 at the Lowther Deer Park near Penrith
- The GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportive will start 8am onwards on Saturday the 13th September '08 at the Lowther Deer Park near Penrith
Registration opening times:
Friday from 6 – 9pm
Saturday from 6am - 8pm (Please note: from 6 - 9am only road sportive riders can register)
Sunday from 7 - 9am
Entry fees:
- The entry fee for the approx. 50, 75 and 100km Merida Bikes MTB Marathon ride is £30 per rider and £25 per rider for the approx. 25km Mini Marathon. If you are between 12-15 years old and are taking part in the Mini Marathon then your entry fee is only £20 rather than £25.
- The entry fee for the approx. 50 and 100mile GORE BIKEWEAR Road sportive is £25 per rider.
- Discount: If you enter the road sportive on Saturday and the mountain bike event on Sunday (at the same weekend) then we will give you a £10 discount on your over all entry fee.
Your entry fee for the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon includes:
- Ride entry
- Free pasta party
- Free usage of service stations
- Free usage of facilities
- Free skills and riding tuitions
- Finishing T-shirt
- Free camping and parking
- Spot prizes
Your entry fee for the GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportive includes:
- Ride entry
- Free post event food
- Free usage of service stations
- Free usage of facilities
- Finishing present
- Free camping and parking
- Spot prizes
CycleActive Skills Training:
CycleActive, the UK’s leading mountain bike instruction and holiday company, will be working their magic at the MTB marathons again in 2008.
Saturday will be a day of skills coaching rides, all free, headed by some of the most experienced and highly qualified tutors around. There are two levels of ride – one focussing on core biking skills while the other looks at more advanced techniques for the experienced rider. Each ride will last for about 1.5 hours and will get you warmed up and skilled up for the following day.
On Sunday their guides will provide active support during the 25km Marathon, while their much loved and appreciated kids skills course, now sponsored by Buff Headwear, will be running in the main arena throughout the day. Besides that they will also be on site answering all sorts of questions about their broad range of UK and international holidays and nation-wide skills weekends.
If you want to improve your skills before the event then check out the new range of trail centre courses run by CycleActive all over Britain, as well as their weekend courses in The Lake District.
To find out more about CycleActive visit them at www.cycleactive.co.uk
To book a space on a skills ride email them at admin@cycleactive.co.uk
New for 08 – CycleActive TT for young bikers:
With so many young riders now riding the 25km Marathon we’ve brought in the experts from CycleActive to run a Total Training, or TT, programme. Before each event you can sign up any young rider to the TT course and know they’ll benefit from the best tuition on Saturday, then join the instructor for the 25km marathon on Sunday.
The 2-hour training session on Saturday is all about total event preparation. There’ll be plenty of skills coaching, a bike setup clinic, informal talks about nutrition and hydration as well as plenty of practical advice on surviving and enjoying a marathon ride.
On Sunday the small group of riders who were trained on Saturday will ride the 25km marathon with their instructor. This will be a group ride so parents can feel confident that their aspiring young bikers are in safe, qualified hands.
The cost for the TT course is £30, plus £20 marathon entry fee. We expect demand to be high and spaces are strictly limited to 8 per instructor, so book your TT course by emailing admin@cycleactive.co.uk as soon as you know which events you’ll be attending.
Location and our man on the ground:
The Lowther Deer Park is part of the Lowther Esate (http://www.lowther.co.uk/) and is the location for the Penrith round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon event (14th September) and the GORE BIKEWEAR Road Sportive (13th September).
Our man in Penrith is Chris Ford from CycleActive (http://www.cycleactive.co.uk/) who will combine his local knowledge and expertise with John Lloyds’ experience and create a new course which will offer something for everyone. If you have any specific questions on the course give John a ring on 01982 552923. If he is not riding his bike he will be more than happy to help.
We will add any course news and last minute updates to our regular newsletter. If you have not subscribed yet please go onto the home page and click the newsletter button on the right hand side.
 PENRITH
For the 2nd year running the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series will pitch up camp near Penrith to run the only English round of the series. Penrith is a large town acting as a regional centre for the eastern Lake District, lying just outside the National Park. Its position on the strategic route to and from Scotland has resulted, since Roman times, in its development as a military centre. Penrith was once the capital of Cumbria. The attractive town is the hub of the Eden Valley. It is an important shopping centre, with a good mix of traditional shops and sophisticated arcades. Leading off Penrith's main streets are many old yard entrances with interesting inscriptions on the lintels.
Penrith has also a rich history. It was in the 9th and 10th centuries that the town became the capital of Cumbria - a semi-dependent state which, until 1070 AD formed part of the Kingdom of Scotland and Strathclyde. The two oldest streets, Burrowgate and Sandgate, date from the 13th Century.
The imposing ruins of Penrith Castle have an intriguing history. It began in 1399, when a stone wall was added to an earlier Pele tower. The castle was improved and added to over the next 70 years, becoming a royal fortress for Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The Normans built Brougham Castle, and a substantial part of the castle remains today. A legendary giant and King of All Cumbria, is said to be buried in the giant's grave in St Andrew’s Churchyard. The four hogback stones surrounding the grave are said to represent wild boar he killed in nearby Inglewood Forest.
The area surrounding Penrith and in particular near the Lowther Estate offer ideal mountain biking countries with oodles of trails, fantastic views and challenging climbs and descends.
Local Information
For information about local services and accommodation please get in touch with the local Tourist Information Centres and check out the local web sites.
Tourism Information
Robinson’s School
Middlegate
Penrith
CA11 2NW
Or
Lake District Outdoors
Tel: 0845 4501199
Email: info@lakedistrictoutdoors.co.uk
Web: www.lakedistrictoutdoors.co.uk and www.golakes.co.uk
For information on the Lowther Estate and the near by Lowther Holiday Park please check:
http://www.lowther.co.uk/ for the estate and http://www.lowther-holidaypark.co.uk/ for the holiday park.
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