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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>>	2006           2006 Review: Ruthin Marathon Coming To A Close Bringing up the rear in its own indomitable style to again close out another fine season of Merida Bikes MTB Marathon riding was Ruthin. And it did not disappoint… Ruthin is a small town in north Wales, flanked by the mighty Clywdian Hills (www.ridetheclwyds.com) that hold a fantastic spread of big open hill and singletrack trails, the curators of which for the Merida Bikes MTB Marathons are the North Wales Mountain Bike Association (NWMBA www.nwmba.org.uk). For the past three years the NWMBA have been the backbone of the event and once again their expertise was entrusted with producing the full compliment of marathon distances – 25, 50, 75 and 100km – over the Clwydian Hills, one of five areas of outstanding natural beauty in Wales. Again, they managed to put together an inspiring course packed full of variety and that epic, open country feel, ensuring that the assorted 1,000 riders bracing the encroaching dark nights over the weekend of the 16th to 17th September 2006, got a head full of memories to tide them over for cold winter months. The Clwydians are a 35km long chain of hills that run from Prestatyn to Llandegla that rise to 554m at their highest point. The hills boast curvaceous singletrack that laces the length and breadth of their varied bulk, draped with open heather moor land, patch works of hedged fields and coppices on their lower flanks, limestone geology, wooded escarpments and forested river valleys. The Clwydians are a bona fide mountain bike destination, with plenty of vertical to get your kicks and lactic acid fits upon. As the riders rolled out along Ruthin’s historic streets as they embarked on their Merida Bikes MTB Marathon adventures, the rain kissed them goodbye but – thankfully – kept short of giving them a full-on snog. It eased and dispersed without inflicting a bloody Somme on the trails themselves, making for all but perfect riding conditions under tyre. “The event and course was fantastic: great organisation and a lot of obvious effort on your part well done,” wrote Jason McEwen of his first ever Ruthin experience. “The level of support we received from other riders and the general public was a real lift during those difficult pushes and it gave the day that special edge. We really enjoyed the course – after surviving the agony of the first climb as we had to push up most of it – and the sense of achievement at the finish line was phenomenal.” The top course saw roughly 3,000m of climbing, the middle course 2,350m, the 50km 1,550m, and the Mini Marathon itself saw a not insignificant 1,000m of uplift. None were going to be an easy walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, but then nothing good ever comes easy and the record for Ruthin has been very good since its birth in 2003. Last year’s event proved not to be the exception as the riding was again top notch, giving riders the true flavour of mountain biking in North Wales. But the Merida’s also rely on the hordes of volunteers and marshals that do their utmost to keep the riders fuelled and smiling all the way, something that was not lost on Phil Perret, who wrote in to the team to express his appreciation: “I couldn't get over how friendly and encouraging you all were,” he said, “thank you to the marshals and the feeding crews who stood out on the course for hours on end as all were very much appreciated. They are such a kind group. The course was also a delight – hard but rewarding and I will definitely be back next year. Thank you to all the team. I am still buzzing!” Ruthin brought the 2006 series to a highly successful close, with many riders broadening their own as well as their riding horizons and, for Karl, Ruthin also broadened his bike quiver as he won the Merida bike: “This is just to say a big but long overdue thank you for the bike I was lucky enough to win: just in case I was too stunned at the time, as I never win anything you see! The minute I got it home the girlfriend decided it was hers,” he continued, “so winning it earned me millions of brownie points.” For 2007, things are about to step up to a whole new level as the Merida MTB Marathon Series kicks into overdrive. Go to http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/ruthin.php get to grips with what lies in store for Ruthin itself, as it will once again round the series out, but this time it will close the biggest ever Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series of no less than seven events. Don’t miss it!   2006		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>>
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