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NEWS... |
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16.05.08 NEWS before the Ruthin Round HERE>> |
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25.04.08
Latest News from the first round.HERE>> |
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17.04.08 Report from the first round HERE>> |
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10.04.08
Latest News before the first event of 2008.HERE>> |
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29.03.08 Website updated - New Season is HERE>> |
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31.01.08
Online Entry now OPEN. MORE>> |
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28.12.07 Website updated - Entry facilities coming soon. |
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19.09.07
7 down, NONE to go….at least not this year.
MORE>> |
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Foot-And-Mouth - Please clean your gear:
MORE>> |
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04.09.07
Ruthin
News. MORE>> |
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Merida on holiday 2008 – win a
mountain bike trip in Austria
MORE>> |
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12.08.07
6
down, ONLY 1 to go. MORE>> |
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20.07.07
Selkirk here we come MORE>> |
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12.07.07
4 down, 2 to go (3 including the Austria round)
MORE>> |
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06.07.07
Latest Builth Wells Summer Marathon update
MORE>> |
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27.06.07
Latest News... MORE>> |
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16.06.07
MERIDA OUTSIDER UPDATES WITH COURSE PROFILES.
MORE>> |
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07.06.07
Latest News... MORE>> |
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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>> |
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08.05.07
It is only a few days now before the 1st ever English round
MORE>> |
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01.05.07
It feels that the season is truly here
MORE>> |
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17.04.07 ELBNO
and SPRING MARATHON MORE>> |
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10.04.07 ELBNO / Spring Marathon –
LAST UPDATE MORE>> |
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23.03.07 ELBNO
. MORE>> |
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23.03.07 Chain
Reaction Cycles voucher - make sure you enter early!
MORE>> |
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23.03.07 Aviemore
round – the Outsider. MORE>> |
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23.03.07 Penrith round – Cumbria
Bikefest MORE>> |
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23.03.07 Salzkammergut Trophy 2007.
MORE>> |
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13.03.07 The Outsider event and line-up
... MORE>> |
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22.02.07 Latest NEWS. MORE>> |
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19.12.06 NEWS 2007 Entry form available to download…....
MORE>> |
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'CycleActive price draw - winner revealed!....
MORE>> |
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23.10.06 NEWS The Outsider - New Event…....
MORE>> |
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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>> |
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26.09.06 We have just got back from
our 2007 planning excursion to Scotland . ....
MORE>> |
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14.09.06 NEWS Update: Merida Ruthin…only a couple of
days to go….... MORE>> |
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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>> |
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09.08.06 NEWS Update:Merida TransWales ’06…only
a couple of days to go…....
MORE>> |
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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>> |
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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>> |
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11.07.06 NEWS Update:…was
it hot or what? This year seams to be the year of extremes...
MORE>> |
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22.06.06 NEWS Update:
The last weekend before this year’s summer marathon in Builth Wells
is upon us.... MORE>> |
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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>> |
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01.06.06
2nd Round Rhayader Event... MORE>> |
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1st Round of the Merida 100 MTB Marathon Series 2006 in
Builth Wells 8-9th April... MORE>> |
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20 Reasons why you... should ride a Mreida 100
1 No faffing with maps: just point and play...
MORE>> |
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Vertebrate Graphics, MTB Guidebooks...MORE>> |
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MTB-Marathon Jersey NOW IN STOCK..MORE>> |
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2005 |
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2005 Review
The biggest ever Merida 100 series lays the foundations for the shape
of the future.
2005 saw the introduction of the first ever UCI sanctioned marathon
World Cup series to hurl marathon riding into the limelight on a global
footing. Back at home, British Cycling introduced the first UK National
Marathon Champs which saw Merida 100 regular Nick Craig crowned king,
while the Merida 100 Series itself grew into the biggest ever series
this green and pleasant land has ever seen: A tough challenge given
its already significant expansion in 2004 but one that Mike, John,
and the rest of the team were more than equal to.
A total of 5,075 riders rode in the Merida 100 Series across six separate
event weekends with a choice of 14 distances in three countries to
make the 2005 series the biggest and best yet. Together with the courses,
the slick organisation, the riders, all the enthusiastic and dedicated
volunteers, and the Merida 100 team’s secret magic recipe, the
events stayed true to their heritage as the original and very best
mountain bike marathon series in the UK organised, according to Brian
Harrison, by “the true masters of mountain bike enduros,”
Following hot on the heels of 2004’s debutantes, Selkirk and
Bad Goisern, was the introduction of the first ever night time marathon,
the Exposure Lights Big Night Out (ELBNO); coupled together with an
all-new Spring marathon at Builth Wells to open the series in early
April, the event used totally fresh trail in a previously untouched
area surrounding the MTB-Marathon’s spiritual home. With almost
800 riders tackling one or even both rides with some serious night
time kicks before taking on the 70km day time challenge, the all-new
series opener proved a great success and will be back once more in
2006. “I really, really enjoyed that,” enthused reigning
National Marathon Champ, Nick Craig as soon as his lights cooled,
“Because it’s early in the season with two shorter distances
[ELBNO & Spring Marahon] you could do both and it was really great
to get out on the bikes.”
Taking on the baton passed to it by the Spring Marathon, the previous
series opener Rhayader got up to speed in double quick time to continue
the marathon momentum. 900 riders returned to Rhayader for a bank
holiday of sun dappled trails and great camaraderie. The sadistic
actions of a malignant bog failed to undermine riders’ enthusiasm
and gave many folks fodder for some particularly memorable post-ride
stories. Rhayader also saw the first of the very popular Pedro’s
Spins Saturday warm up rides that were present and correct for the
remainder of the series. Using a roughly 10 mile loop that took in
the cream of the close-by trails at each of the venues, the ‘Spins’gave
riders the perfect opportunity to stretch their legs after their journeys
in preparation for the next day’s marathon. Which, as it turned
out, was a stonker.
The Merida 100 circus returned to Builth for the Summer Marathon and
returned with a vengeance. The weather combined with the already taxing
course made it one of the toughest marathons ever, prompting riders
like Jay and Maddie Horton to exclaim: “Bloody hell, what a
monster!” and others simply to mutter breathlessly afterwards:
“God I hurt!” But all the riders reacted to the less than
ideal conditions by getting the bit between their teeth and relishing
in the challenge, with the pay off of Builth’s much-loved final
descent helping folks through their darker times and back to base
safe and sound, tired and exhausted but grinning from ear to ear.
The Merida 100 then jetted off for its return to the Salzgammergut
Trophy in Bad Goisern, Austria. The previous year saw the event host
the Marathon World Champs while 2005 kept up the world class tip with
a round of the first ever Marathon World Cup Series. The setting is
perfect marathon territory – being, as it is, based in the Austrian
Alps and a UNESCO World Heritage region – and, for those with
an extreme disposition, the 53km and 101km options were again joined
by the 203km course with its 50% drop out rate. Tougher, indeed, than
a pair of old hob nailed boots.
The penultimate round of the 2005 series saw the Merida 100 uproot
from Wales for only the second ever time to return to the phenomenal
Selkirk, Scotland. 2004 saw this event burst onto the marathon scene
to rapturous applause and an immediate cult status from both the riders
and media alike, and 2005’s return was anticipated to be the
event of the entire series. Unusually for soothsayers, the prediction
held true as Selkirk swelled to full-strength with 1,050 riders pitting
flocking to the new alter of British marathon riding on some of the
very best trails in the world, as voted for by IMBA (the International
Mountain Bike Association).
Once again, Ruthin in north Wales was the series’ rear guard
in mid-September. The course had been massively overhauled allowing
the Clwydian hills to once again hold their heads up high with a testing
and technical course framed with beautiful scenery. 1,100 riders descended
on the small town to get their final Merida 100 marathon kicks and
to see the season out in fine style.
“We were bloody lucky with the weather,” said co-organiser,
Mike Wilkens, of the 2005 series. “The events were well received
from everybody with lots of positive feedback however we are still
trying to move forward by adding more course distances so everybody
can find the right distance for them, joining forces with CycleActive
to give people the chance not just to improve their physical ability
but also their technical abilities,” he continued. “After
a fantastic start with the ELBNO it has established itself as a regular
feature and we’re keen to develop that in the future. We also
hope that we’re making it a more interesting and enjoyable event
for beginners and families as well as enthusiasts by offering more
on the side with a bigger event village and improved facilities, while
maintaining the relaxed atmosphere of camaraderie.”
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2005 |
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