Home | Events | Gore Sportives | Entry | Training | Diet | Tech | Offers | Local Info | Results | 17 Commandments & FAQ's | History | Contact

2007   > 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>>	2004           2004 Review Mountain bike marathon riding is undeniably the people’s choice of mountain biking: whether you crash round the distance with a smile the length of the Great Wall of China on your chops, or zoom round it in an Olympic effort of finessed speed and effortless control, it’s where every mountain biker has common ground. International athletes rub shoulders with weekend warriors; first timers with die-hard bikers, and the beautifully big with the wonderfully petite: out on the marathon course is where mountain biking is most at home. “The main things I enjoy about the Merida100s are that they’re one big lap - this is a proper marathon in my mind,” said British Olympian Oli Beckingsale. “The multiple lap enduros are fun but are no way near as epic as a big loop.” With the UCI introducing the first ever Marathon World Cup Series, British Cycling putting on the first ever UK Marathon National Champs, and the third ever Marathon World Championships taking place (where Merida’s Gunn-Rita Dahle will defend her World title), 2005 is the year that MTB marathon riding hits the big time on a global scale. “Marathon races are very important now,” continued Oli, “the challenge they provide is attracting more and more people, so they are the way forward for the sport in terms of participation and for that reason they are important to me for my profile and for my sponsors as this is where our market is.” But it wouldn’t be so if it weren’t for events like the Merida 100, and for the thousands of everyday riders who flock to them each year for their unique combination of awesome riding, beautiful locations, camaraderie and slick organisation. The MTB-Marathon Series is the original and by far the best series of its kind in the UK: its roots go back to the year 2000, when the first ever 100 MTB-Marathon took place in Builth Wells. Now almost five years on the event has grown into the foremost series of its kind in the UK; 2004 cemented its reputation but also raised the bar higher as the MTB-Marathon team were determined not to rest on the laurels of the previous year’s efforts. To this end, two new events were added to the solid foundations already laid by Rhayader, Builth Wells, and Ruthin: the Merida 100 ‘On Holiday’ event in Austria, and also the cult classic of Selkirk, Scotland. Rhayader opened the batting in fine style for the second year running. Running over a bank holiday weekend put a totally different slant on the event as it turned into a great long weekend of mountain biking with great biking people. Many first-timers had chosen to kick off their mountain bike experience with Rhayader and these new riders helped to swell the event’s ranks to full strength and push it to the verge of being over-subscribed. Builth was once more a very fine event and underlined its status as the home of the MTB-Marathon Series. With 1,207 riders tackling the challenging but fun courses on the hills surrounding the town, the sun beat down on the trails and the unique festival atmosphere was in clear evidence. With a few extras thrown in for good measure including post-ride massage, skills tuition from the Off-road Training Consultancy (OTC), and mean fruit smoothies courtesy of What Mountain Bike magazine to help keep everyone refreshed and energised, Builth was once again the biggest round of the 2004 series. Then it was time to jet off to Austria for the Salzkammergut Trophy in Bad Goisern to take on an alpine marathon and to watch the pro’s duke it out for the 2004 UCI MTB Marathon World Championship crown. Despite heavy rains and freezing temperatures the event was a success, with many riders taking away more than their fair share of stories of bike heroism... Selkirk was a first for the Merida100s, as it saw the entire format uprooted from its native Wales to head north to Scotland for the very first time. 722 riders hit up the critically acclaimed courses designed by Scottish trail maestro Peter Laing; the 80km course was arguably the best mountain bike course this country has ever seen. Brutally technical, pant wettingly fast and full on with obscene amounts of climbing and descending it succeeded in reducing grown men to tears over the sheer endorphin overload it produced. Praised both by the riders who took it on and by the mountain bike media alike, Selkirk was without doubt the event of the 2004 series. Ruthin had a hard act to follow after the unmitigated success of Selkirk, but in true Welsh style it held its own and did itself proud and brought the biggest ever Merida100 MTB-Marathon Series to a successful and satisfying climax: “I left every event satisfied with everything I had done and I’m probably the series’ biggest critic,” said co-organiser Mike Wilkens, “that doesn’t mean that everything was 100% perfect, but considering the circumstances I was more than happy with the overall outcome of the series. It gave us inspiration for 2005 and ideas to introduce new events like the Exposure Lights Big Night Out night time marathon...” “I like the fact that in enduro events like the Merida 100s, you can ride according to how you feel,” What Mountain Bike editor, Steve Worland told the Merida 100 team. “There’s no urgency unless you’re in the mood for urgency. It doesn’t matter if you start with a hangover - it’s nice to have an excuse to hang back, have a chat with other riders, ride yourself in, have yo-yo battles with other individuals when you feel like it and then finish with a flourish... or a whimper. You’ll get a great sense of achievement either way.” And for 2005 there will be no shortage of opportunities to do all of the above as the series expands yet further, with the world’s first ever night time MTB marathon, the introduction of an all-new Spring Marathon, and returns to all of the great venues of last year too for more mountain biking as it should be.   2004		Merida Bikes TransWales '08 The 7 day MTB stage challenge. Check the full story and the results on www.mtbtransuk.co.uk Join our Mailing List: Enter your email address:   Confirm your email address: Privacy Statement Request the 2008 season Merida Marathon Guide Book (available early Spring): Please Email us your FULL POSTAL ADDRESS and POSTCODE. CLICK HERE Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series will go abroad: Read MORE>>
	Back to Top^

Home | Events | Entry | Training | Diet | Tech | Offers | Local Services | Results | 15 Commandments | History | Stories | Girls | Contact