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  > REVIEW
  2006
  > REVIEW
  > ELBNO - SM
  > RHAYADER
  > BUILTH WELLS
  > BAD GOISERN
  > SELKIRK
  > RUTHIN
  2005
  > REVIEW
  > ELBNO - SM
  > RHAYADER
  > BUILTH WELLS
  > BAD GOISERN
  > SELKIRK
  > RUTHIN
  2004
  > REVIEW
  > RHAYADER
  > BUILTH WELLS
  > BAD GOISERN
  > SELKIRK
  > RUTHIN
  2003
  > REVIEW
  > RHAYADER
  > BUILTH WELLS
  > RUTHIN
  NEWS...
  16.05.08 NEWS before the Ruthin Round HERE>>
  25.04.08
Latest News from the first round.
HERE>>
  17.04.08 Report from the first round HERE>>
  10.04.08
Latest News before the first event of 2008.
HERE>>
  29.03.08 Website updated - New Season is HERE>>
  31.01.08
Online Entry now OPEN.
MORE>>
  28.12.07 Website updated - Entry facilities coming soon.
  19.09.07
7 down, NONE to go….at least not this year. MORE>>
  Foot-And-Mouth - Please clean your gear: MORE>>
  04.09.07
Ruthin News. MORE>>
  Merida on holiday 2008 – win a mountain bike trip in Austria MORE>>
  12.08.07
6 down, ONLY 1 to go. MORE>>
  20.07.07
Selkirk here we come
MORE>>
  12.07.07
4 down, 2 to go (3 including the Austria round) MORE>>
  06.07.07
Latest Builth Wells Summer Marathon update
MORE>>
  27.06.07
Latest News... MORE>>
  16.06.07
MERIDA OUTSIDER UPDATES WITH COURSE PROFILES.
MORE>>
  07.06.07
Latest News... MORE>>
  17.05.07
…2 down 5 to go. After last year’s rather muddy May event in Rhayader the first dip into English marathon territory was another one to remember.
MORE>>
  08.05.07
It is only a few days now before the 1st ever English round MORE>>
  01.05.07
It feels that the season is truly here MORE>>
  17.04.07 ELBNO and SPRING MARATHON MORE>>
  10.04.07 ELBNO / Spring Marathon – LAST UPDATE MORE>>
  23.03.07 ELBNO . MORE>>
  23.03.07 Chain Reaction Cycles voucher - make sure you enter early! MORE>>
  23.03.07 Aviemore round – the Outsider. MORE>>
  23.03.07 Penrith round – Cumbria Bikefest MORE>>
  23.03.07 Salzkammergut Trophy 2007. MORE>>
  13.03.07 The Outsider event and line-up ... MORE>>
  22.02.07 Latest NEWS. MORE>>
  19.12.06 NEWS 2007 Entry form available to download….... MORE>>
  'CycleActive price draw - winner revealed!.... MORE>>
  23.10.06 NEWS The Outsider - New Event….... MORE>>
  The 2006 mountain bike season is heading towards its deserved winter break which inevitably means that the 2007 season is creeping up on us. .... MORE>>
  26.09.06 We have just got back from our 2007 planning excursion to Scotland . .... MORE>>
  14.09.06 NEWS Update: Merida Ruthin…only a couple of days to go….... MORE>>
  25.08.06 Well done everybody who took part in the first ever Merida TransWales ’06. What a week! I am sure it will take us all a while to recover from this adventure. .... MORE>>
  09.08.06 NEWS Update:Merida TransWales ’06…only a couple of days to go….... MORE>>
  02.08.06 NEWS Four down one to go! We have just returned from the event in Selkirk and we can only agree with the all comments we have had that it has once again been a superb event for everybody.... MORE>>
  26.07.06 NEWS Update:
It’s the last week before the Scottish round of the Merida 100 MTB Marathon in Selkirk opens its doors.... MORE>>
  11.07.06 NEWS Update:…was it hot or what? This year seams to be the year of extremes... MORE>>
  22.06.06 NEWS Update:
The last weekend before this year’s summer marathon in Builth Wells is upon us.... MORE>>
  News update 15.06.06
Less than three weeks to go before we will welcome everybody at the ‘summer’ event of the Merida 100 Series... MORE>>
  01.06.06
2nd Round Rhayader Event... MORE>>
  1st Round of the Merida 100 MTB Marathon Series 2006 in Builth Wells 8-9th April... MORE>>
  20 Reasons why you... should ride a Mreida 100
1 No faffing with maps: just point and play... MORE>>
  Vertebrate Graphics, MTB Guidebooks...MORE>>
  MTB-Marathon Jersey NOW IN STOCK..MORE>>
 


















  2003
       
  Rhayader Event Review
So this was it, the first event of the first year that the 100 MTB Marathon series would kick off in its new format, and the venue to hold that honour would be Rhayader, in mid-Wales. Rhayader, an ancient town with signs of human habitation dating way back to the Neolithic, is set in the beautiful upper Wye Valley at 700ft above sea level.

The surrounding landscape is varied - with a huge expanse of open hill country to the west, and forest to the east; the Grampian Mountains aren’t too far away and the spectacular flooded Elan Valley is also just off to the west, providing a beautiful backdrop to 2003’s first round. Almost 950 riders descended upon the town for the event, which was by comparison to previous years an impressive number. For their effort, they were rewarded with superb weather: something that the rest of the year’s marathon events would also be the fortunate benefactors of; someone up there must really like mountain bikers...

The venue for the event village was the town’s Rugby Club, where the pasta party rocked and rolled with riders getting their carbs in the night before for the big push on the Sunday. But it wasn’t just the riders who were getting their carbs in for the days efforts either - apparently Mark Aldridge’s kids got in on the act to aid their vocal endurance;
“The whole family enjoyed the weekend for the pasta party for helping to call out the finishers on the Sunday.”
No plans for getting them hooked up on a tag-a-long to give you the full vocal support deal around the whole 100km yet?! Imagine the shear hell of it: ‘Pedal Dad, pedal! You’re not even trying: even Gran could go faster than this!’ Phew, probably a good idea to leave them for 100km of wilderness for a few hours...
“The course was very challenging, with lots of climbs and fast, technical downhill singletrack,” John Lloyd remembers. “Being such a challenging course, the distance was kept down to 90km.” Rhayader featured more forest trails than either the Builth Wells or Ruthin rounds, bringing a whole spaghetti network of twisty singletrack into play for the grin factor of the riders, with the general feedback from riders saying that this course was demanding but enjoyable.
“After taking part last year at Rhayader, I swore never again. I’m glad that I didn’t keep my word,” Gayle told the Marathon team. “It was brilliant and an unforgettable day for all the right reasons.”

The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly - like all of the MTB Marathons it’s you guys and gals, the riders who make it what it is. It was so good to see that easy going, nature getting busy - whether in the saddle or on the grass at the start and finish area, the atmosphere really is unique,
“It’s a non-competitive atmosphere, which brings people closer together when they cup of tea sitting on the grass at the finish,” said co-organiser Mike Wilkens.

As it was the first event of the year there was a fair amount of newcomers to the MTB Marathon - with a large amount of people, far more than Mike or John would’ve thought, coming up to thank them and the team for such a great time,
“People were coming over the line, cramping up with a misery of fatigue setting in but all the same with a smile on their face saying, ‘Thanks a lot, this was wicked - see you at the next one.’”
And you can’t ask for anything more than that.
  2003

competition image


Merida Bikes TransWales '08
The 7 day MTB stage challenge.
Check the full story and the results on www.mtbtransuk.co.uk

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