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  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>>
 


















  2005
       
  Exposure Lights Big Night Out & Spring Marathon Event Review

A double header with lashings of night time action opens the 2005 season with all guns firing
Builth Wells is where it all started way back in the mists of the millenium in 2000. Last year saw it play host to a very special double header event: an all new spring marathon and the first ever night time marathon*, the Exposure Lights Big Night Out (ELBNO); events that saw Builth further deepen its foundation as the UK’s spiritual home for mountain bike marathon riding.

Born from the collaborative inspiration between Rory Hitchens at Exposure Lights and Mike and John of the Merida 100 team, the ELBNO took place on the Saturday night and opened up the 2005 Merida 100 MTB Marathon Series with over 5,000 Watts of combined halogen, HID and S-LED lighting power scorching the earth and blazing the way for more to follow.

The ELBNO was all about getting out on a real, bona fide adventure: “What is on offer,” explained Rory, “is a true wild spaces night ride rather than just laps of a course, but with safety in numbers and good organisation.”

Heading out to the hills that lie north east of Builth, John had put together a 43km long course made up of a completely new set of trails that had previously never been touched by any of the Merida 100s. Taking in 991m of vertical ascent and descent, it included the cream of the old NPS (National Points Series) cross country course with its steeply carving singletrack and sustained climbs, and saw almost 300 riders snaking silently along its length.

In the lead up to the weekend the weather had been changeable and the mercury on the thermometers had dropped into the low minus figures. In places, especially on the forest singletrack, the moisture had made itself known by spraying PTFE over the off-camber roots and mixing up friction-free mud that kept riders on their toes, offering more to the challenge with lashings of slip sliding fun. The surprise of free tea and cake in the middle of nowhere at the service station helped keep spirits buoyed and warm the cockles, before riders punched on their lights once more and slipped back into the darkness.

Exposure Lights had brought along their test fleet, and many riders had one of the sleekly compact units bolted to their bars, complete with a custom laser etched back plate with their names on that they could take away as a free souvenir of their night time pedal mashing. On the finish line riders were also presented with limited edition ELBNO/Spring Marathon thermal mugs that were their tickets to free tea and coffee for the night in the event marquee, where they could finally kick back and settle into a good film courtesy of the What Mountain Bike cinema.

The Spring Marathon

The Spring Marathon itself, starting slightly later than usual on the Sunday, saw 500 riders tackle an extended 70km course, moulded from the bones of the previous night’s event but with an altogether different arrangement. The clarity of day let many of the ELBNO riders get a handle on where they went, where they nearly lost it, and to soak in the views from 518m above sea level without the blanket of night shielding the majesty of mid-Wales.

“It was awesome,” said Rory Hitchens afterwards, “It’s been new ground we’ve been breaking and we were pleased to see so many riders taking part. Considering that many of them were also riding the next day and so early in the season it was pretty brave of them!” Merida 100 event co-organiser Mike Wilkens agreed: “Standing there at night waiting for the first person to come over the line to get their feedback of what it was like out there was something special,” he said, before continuing: “Going by the number of people we had there we were certainly proven right that there was an interest and a demand out there for this kind of event.”

So can you expect to see the ELBNO back and better than ever this year? You’re damn right it’ll be back: bigger and better than ever. Make sure you don’t miss it!
  2005

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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