30.06.10 News update before the Yorkshire round HERE>>
24.06.10 IMPORTANT NEWS from the Grassington Round HERE>>
25.05.10 News and Photos from the Builth Marathon HERE>>
21.05.10 News from the Builth event showground HERE>>
19.05.10 Only a couple of days before the Builth event, latest HERE>>
26.04.10 Youtube videos and more from the first event HERE>>
19.04.10 News report from the first of this years Marathons HERE>>
09.04.10 News from the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells...HERE>>
06.04.10 Only a couple of days to go before the first event of 2010 - latest event news HERE>>
26.03.10 Only a couple of weeks to go before the 1st event of the 2010 season will kick off at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells...HERE>>
15.03.10 Temperatures are still low but there is no denying that spring is trying its best to break through. And with spring approaching the 1st round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport can’t be far away. In fact we are talking only four weeks from now. HERE>>
10.02.10 For 2010 the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series is being supported by Mercedes-Benz and the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport van. This versatile vehicle delivers on style without compromising practicality. The Vito Sport will be on site at the event, showing off its assets and why it’s got the mountain bikers’ seal of approval.HERE>>
Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport – Selkirk Report
4 down, ONLY 1 to go. The Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport 2010 is slowly coming to an end but the events are still going from strength to strength. More than 1200 riders made their way to the surprisingly weather spoiled (at least almost) Selkirk event. After rather wet conditions in 2008 the superb Selkirk courses enjoyed almost perfect conditions giving the Selkirk event a real feeling of summer riding. The weather leading up to the event was mixed but luckily the weather resistant courses put together once more by Pete Laing weren’t affected at all giving the riders the chance to really enjoy the challenging sections Pete had added to the already much loved Selkirk courses. Luckily bar some showers on the far ends of the sportive course and the last 30 minutes during Sunday’s MTB marathon the weather stayed fair and sunny making the CycleOps Power Road Sportive as well as the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon a real success.
CycleOps Power Road Sportive As at the May event in Builth Wells (Wales) – Saturday was all aboutriding on skinny tires. More than 350 road enthusiasts turned up to enjoy the fantastic roads around the greater Selkirk area. The route took the riders through the Yarrow and Ettrick valleys starting with a long yet gentle climb following the Tweed River upstream. But it wasn’t all easy going. Our course designer Pete Laing had some ‘proper’ climbs up his sleeve to turn what appeared to be a gentle stroll into a real challenge. Each route made the most of the network of narrow hill roads linking the river valleys that the Scottish Borders is so famous for. The climb tot-up for each distance is… 47 mile: 4 climbs, 95 mile: 8 climbs. None of the climbs are Alpine in scale but only one is less than 100m vertical and if you check the course profiles, there isn’t a flat road in between, so the ascent total soon builds up. After 2 hour and 31minutes the first 47 mile rider came into the event village while the last 95 mile rider made the most of the day and took 7 hour and 46 minutes to complete the course. We had some problems with service stations which we can only apologise for and guarantee to sort them out for next year’s sportive.
The Selkirk round was the final CycleOps Power Road Sportive in 2010. But we will return with a selection of sportives in 2011. To find out more and stay in touch about next year’s events please go to www.roadsportives.co.uk.
Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series
powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
After the road event came to an end on Saturday afternoon the mountain bikers started to descend onto the event village in Selkirk. More than 800 riders lined up ignoring the less promising weather forecast that a rather wet and unstable day would lie ahead. And luckily for everyone the weather prognosis was wrong with the rain holding off for almost the entire day only with the rain coming in for the last 15-20 riders. Following feedback from the last couple of years course designer Pete Laing changed a few of the key sections as well as adding some more fantastic singletrack to the menu. The T-shirt crew at the Rugby Club were greeted with a sheer endless line of big smiles and grins on people’s faces telling us that Pete had once more done a great job. One of the most impressed riders was marathon regular and multiple national XC and marathon champion Nick Craig who gave the event and the course in particular the thumbs up calling it ‘the best MTB marathon ever’. The sunshine and the perfect finish line setup encouraged lots of people to stay for a while and to enjoy a cold drink while watching the riders come over the line. The first rider on the Mini Marathon made it over the line in just over an hour while the last rider on the 88km long full marathon took 8hours and 18min to complete the challenging course.
The final round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport will head to Ruthin for the 18-19th September. For further details of the last marathon of the 2010 series please head to: www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/ruthin.php or go directly to the entry page to secure your entry.
Photos and website updates
Our event photographer Jon Brooke and his colleagues were again on site as well as on course taking pictures of pretty much everybody. So just go onto Jon’s website - www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk to find your photos there to view or buy.
Next events coming up:
Now with the 4th marathon being over we are turning out undivided attention to the Gore Bike Wear TransWales (www.mtbtransuk.co.uk) which will start on the 14th August in Builth Wells.
After that the final round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport 2010 will take place in Ruthin, North Wales which will feature not just the MTB Marathon on Sunday but also the 2nd Exposure Lights Big Night Out night marathon.
And if you still have any juice in the tank – maybe make your way to the Kona Oktoberfest in Bristol – a 8hour solo and team relay event in one of the best riding spots in the country (www.bike-fest.com).
We are in the process of setting up the event and the courses up in Selkirk ready for the 4th round of the 2010 series of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport taking part this weekend which features for the 2nd time this year the CycleOps Power Road Sportive. As always we have a few more details and updates for the riders before you make your way to the event. The venue address is: Selkirk Rugby Club, Ettrickhaugh Road, Selkirk, TD7 5AX
Weather and Course:
The weather forecast for the weekend is a little mixed but with a little luck we should have two great days for the Sportive and the MTB Marathon. In any case the MTB course is one of the most weather proof course’s of the whole series and with temperatures around the 20 degrease mark even a little rain should not spoil the fun on the sportive course either. The MTB course is in great condition with a couple of small changes added to the menu making sure that riders of all abilities will have a great day out.
CRC and Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport at the 2nd round of the series
Title sponsor Chain Reaction Cycles will be attending the event with their mobile shop. The guys are bringing loads of kit with them including, lube, commuters, grips, brake pads, mudguards, chains, wheelsets, brakes, pedals, handlebars, cassettes, derailleurs, xc clothing, t-shirts, helmets, gloves etc etc. So make sure you pop by in case you are missing anything or you just feel like shopping. You will also find the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport team near the registration showing off some super nice Vito-Sports. Make sure you check them out.
Can I still get in? Entry on the day?
There are still lots of places available for the 4th round as well as the only remaining rounds of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 in Ruthin (18-19th September). You can still enter the sportive as well as the MTB marathon via the online entry but if you enter after Friday lunchtime don’t be surprised that your name will not be on the entry list. No worries though we can look you up and add you to the start list.
Event details and registration
For further details on the CycleOps Power Road Sportive go to and for the CRC marathon (including all the info on the various courses on offer) please go to the event page. To enter the sportive please go to the road entry page and for the MTB-Marathon to the MTB entry page.
Registration opening times:
• Friday from 6 – 9pm
• Saturday from 6am - 8pm (Please note: from 6 - 9am Saturday only road sportive riders can register)
• Sunday from 7 - 9am
Start times:
• The CycleOps Power Road Sportive will commence between 8.30 – 10am on Saturday, 31st July ‘10
• The Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon (powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport) ride will start at 10am on Sunday the 1st August '10
• Both events will start from the Rugby Club in Selkirk (TD7 5AX)
High5-Online: The guys from High5-Online will be there with lots of special offers to keep you fuelled and hydrated during the rides – get stocked up with gels and bars to eat to keep you going and drink sachets to keep you hydrated – it’s going to be another warm weekend so please don’t take any chances. They will also be doing their bottle swap so bring all your old bottles and swap them off for some new ones. Don’t forget you can also buy on-line.
Gore Bike Wear – Try B4 U Buy As the official clothing sponsor of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series for the third consecutive year GORE BIKE WEAR™ is giving you the chance to test out some of their gear for free. GORE BIKE WEAR™ will lend you a jacket, shirt, vest or gilet to test and give the once or twice over during your ride. GORE BIKE WEAR™ products are made from highly durable technical fabrics such as GORE-TEX® and WINSTOPPER® products and designed to enhance your cycling experience whilst allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead of you.
If you aren’t sure what to test out ask the on-site technical team for advice. You simply hand back what you’ve tested at the end of your ride (they will even wash it for you!) and if you like what you’ve tried you can purchase a new one in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season HERE.
CycleActive at the Selkirk round CycleActive will once again be at the event, providing coaching for adults on Saturday and junior riders or partners who don’t ride the event on Sunday.
Saturday – Bespoke Skills Sessions: The huge popularity of CycleActive’s skills Q&A series on BikeRadar has prompted them to try a new approach to skills sessions for adults this season. Instead of them setting the targets – you can. If you want to ride faster in singletrack, pop the front wheel up more smoothly, corner quickly through multiple turns or climb super-technical terrain with ease – whatever you want to achieve, CycleActive can show you how to make it happen. Just email HYPERLINK "mailto:chris@cycleactive.co.uk" chris@cycleactive.co.uk and the sessions will be planned around your requests. There will be sessions at 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm and you can sign up using the same email address – maximum 8 riders per session, but others can watch and listen in.
Sunday – Junior Skills: In the morning the junior riders can come to CycleActive for some great core skills training, as they work on braking, controlled skids, fast turns and overall bike balance. After lunch the sessions change, the ramps come out and it’s all about riding skinnies, pumping the bike for lift off and maybe progressing on to pumped bunny hops and wheelies.
After two sun spoiled rounds at the start of the season the 3rd round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport showed once more the ‘versatility’ of the UK weather. Our 1st marathon in Yorkshire had a promising start with the majority of the riders arriving at the extraordinary setting right underneath the Kilnsey Crag in perfect summer conditions. But unfortunately the weather gods had something slightly different in mind for the marathon day. More than 1000 marathon riders lined up behind the Chain Reaction Cycles start arch ready to tackle one of the 4 demanding courses on offer. When the gun went at 10am it already started looking turbulent in the skies and only a short time after the last rider left the event venue rain and heavy winds added an extra element to the already challenging trails.
Even with the challenging conditions and the last minute changes we had to make to the event the Yorkshire round of the MTB Marathon series was a great success and hopefully a great foundation for bringing an even better event to the area in 2011.
The weekend
The Yorkshire round is the only ‘classic’ marathon weekend in the 2010 series with ‘only’ the MTB Marathon to focus on. That did not keep people from arriving early turning their marathon weekend into a little mini camping trip. The Saturday was focused around signing on, going through the last few preparations for the big day, maybe polishing up on a few riding skills with the CycleActive Team, checking out the various trade and display stands in the arena and simply chilling out before the ride.
Sunday morning started with registration opening at 7am ready to sign on the few riders who decided to turn up only a couple of hours before the rider and to sort out the riders who were waiting to grab one of the highly sought after cancellation places. From then onwards everything was focused on MTB marathon riding and with the clock slowly makings its way towards the start time at 10am riders started to gather in the start arena. Exactly ay 10am more than 1000 riders made their way along the bottom of the Kilnsey Crag before heading up into the hills along the infamous Mastiles Lane to start their marathon adventure.
After just over 65 minutes in the saddle the 1st rider in the mini marathon made his way over the finish line with the 1st full distance rider being out in the elements for 4 and a quarter hours. The last rider finishing the riding tasks of the full distance and picking up the well deserved event T-shirt after 7 hours and 34 minutes.
The 3rd event of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport was a great success with lots of worn out looking yet smiling faces coming over the line. But if you couldn’t make it to the July round or did not get an entry in in time don’t worry there are still two events left in the 2010 series.
Photos and website updates
At this event we had 2 photographers out on the course; our regular photographer, Jon Brooke and his colleague - the idea being to give you an even greater selection of images to choose from. Check out Jon’s website where you can find your photos to view and to buy. We have also made some further updates on the website so keep an eye on the news in the top left hand corner.
Other events in the CHAIN REACTION CYCLES MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
31st July – 1st August Selkirk (CycleOps Power Road Sportive to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday) 18-19thSeptember
Ruthin (ELBNO Night Marathon to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)
Next sportive and marathon – Selkirk on the 31st July – 1st August 2010
The next round of Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport will take us even further north to Selkirk in the Scottish borders. The Selkirk round is another double event. With 2 fantastic sportive routes to choose from at the CycleOps Power Road Sportive on the 31st July followed by the 4 classic and much loved Selkirk MTB marathon courses run on Sunday the 1st August. Selkirk has been in the series for many years and has enjoyed the crown of best courses for many years. So it you haven’t entered yet we can only suggest being quick as it looks that we might have to close the entry early for the Selkirk round as well. So don’t delay your entry any further.
To find out more about the Selkirk round (including course description and profiles) please go to the event page. To place your entry please go directly to the entry page where you can either download an entry form or enter directly through the new online entry service.
GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 20010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
It is only 6 weeks before the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 2010 (14-21st of August 2010) will be opening its doors. If you are starting to find your riding legs and enjoy our marathon events why not join the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales where you can experience some of the best trails Wales has to offer. The entry is open and there are still solo and pairs places available. To find out more about the only UK 7 day mountain bike stage race and its unique concept please go towww.mtbtransuk.co.uk.
We are just about to set off to set up the course and event village at the new location (see below) of our Yorkshire round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport taking part this weekend and we thought to let you know a few more details of what is going to happen..
Weather and Course:
The last few weeks have been super dry in the area creating fantastic conditions for the MTB Marathon.The single and doubletracks are super smooth and just great fun to wiz along. Theweather forecast for the weekend is looking good with temperatures over 20 degrease. There might be a little rain coming in before the weekend but with the ground so dry that will have no effect on the riding.
With the weather looking warm and dry for the weekend please make sure that you have enough to drink on your ride and that you bring to right equipment with you to carry sufficient water. There are feeding stations on the course but please remember they are there to supplement your supplies not provide them. You should carry with you at least 3 x Proper Energy Bars, 5 x Energy Gel’s and 3 x sachets of electrolyte drink powder.
Venue changes for 3rd round
As mentioned in our last newsletter, please don’t forget that the venue for the marathon (where you can find start/finish, camping, event venue and registration) has changed. The event village is now based 3-4miles away from Grassington near the little village of Kilnsey (Post Code district BD23). The village is located north of Grassington, 12 miles north of Skipton on B6160. Skipton is located on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales approx 20 miles north of Leeds and Bradford. The exact venue will be signposted from Friday afternoon onwards
No showers at the event
Unfortunately due to this last minute change and the lack of rain in the area since Easter we will not be able to provide showers and power washers at this event. We would also like to ask riders who come with mobile homes or caravans to fill up their water supplies before they come on site.
For riders who due to these changes rather not take part in the Yorkshire round of the series we are happy to move your entry to one of the two remaining rounds of the 2010 series or to one of the 2011 rounds (dates and locations to be announced later in the year). If you want to change your entry please email us on info@mtb-marathon.co.uk.
CRC and Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport at the 3rd round of the series
Title sponsor Chain Reaction Cycles (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ ) will be attending the event with their mobile shop. The guys are bringing loads of kit with them including, lube, commuters, grips, brake pads, mudguards, chains, wheelsets, brakes, pedals, handlebars, cassettes, derailleurs, xc clothing, t-shirts, helmets, gloves etc etc. So make sure you pop by in case you are missing anything or you just feel like shopping. You will also find the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport (http://www.vitosport.co.uk/) team near the registration showing off some super nice Vito-Sports. Make sure you check them out.
Time Table for the weekend
Registration - Saturday from 12pm (noon) - 8pm (Please note that the registration is not open on a Friday or Saturday morning due to having no Road Sportive or ELBNO at the 3rd round)
Registration - Sunday from 7 - 9am
Start – Sunday 10am
High5-Online
The guys from High5-Online will be there with lots of special offers to keep you fuelled and hydrated during the marathon – get stocked up with gels and bars to eat to keep you going and drink sachets to keep you hydrated – it’s going to be another warm weekend so please don’t take any chances. They will also be doing their bottle swap so bring all your old bottles and swap them off for some new ones. Don’t forget you can also buy on-line at www.high5-online.com
Squirt offer
The guys from Squirt will not just be on course making sure that chains are running smoothly but also will be in the event village Saturday afternoon offering free chain degreasing and Squirt trail for the Sunday marathon. Check out http://www.in2dust.co.uk/ for more details.
Gore Bike Wear – Try B4 U Buy
As the official clothing sponsor of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series for the third consecutive year GORE BIKE WEAR™ is giving you the chance to test out some of their gear for free. GORE BIKE WEAR™ will lend you a jacket, shirt, vest or gilet to test and give the once or twice over during your ride. GORE BIKE WEAR™ products are made from highly durable technical fabrics such as GORE-TEX® and WINSTOPPER® products and designed to enhance your cycling experience whilst allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead of you.
If you aren’t sure what to test out ask the on-site technical team for advice. You simply hand back what you’ve tested at the end of your ride (they will even wash it for you!) and if you like what you’ve tried you can purchase a new one in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season on http://www.gorebikewear.co.uk.
CycleActive at the Yorkshire round
CycleActive will once again be at the event, providing coaching for adults on Saturday and junior riders or partners who don’t ride the event on Sunday.
Saturday – Bespoke Skills Sessions: The huge popularity of CycleActive’s skills Q&A series on BikeRadar has prompted them to try a new approach to skills sessions for adults this season. Instead of them setting the targets – you can. If you want to ride faster in singletrack, pop the front wheel up more smoothly, corner quickly through multiple turns or climb super-technical terrain with ease – whatever you want to achieve, CycleActive can show you how to make it happen. Just email chris@cycleactive.co.uk and the sessions will be planned around your requests. There will be sessions at 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm and you can sign up using the same email address – maximum 8 riders per session, but others can watch and listen in.
Sunday – Junior Skills: In the morning the junior riders can come to CycleActive for some great core skills training, as they work on braking, controlled skids, fast turns and overall bike balance. After lunch the sessions change, the ramps come out and it’s all about riding skinnies, pumping the bike for lift off and maybe progressing on to pumped bunny hops and wheelies.
Only a little more than a week now before our Yorkshire round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport will get going on the 3-4th July at a new location near Grassington. Venue changes for 3rd round
Due to last minute changes with the original event venue which were beyond or control we were forced to find an alternative venue. The event village and camping is now based 3-4miles away from Grassington near the little village of Kilnsey (Post Code district BD23). The village is located north of Grassington, 12 miles north of Skipton on B6160. Skipton is located on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales approx 20 miles north of Leeds and Bradford. The exact venue will be signposted from Friday afternoon onwards
Unfortunately due to this last minute change and the lack of rain in the area since Easter we will not be able to provide showers and power washers at this event. We would also like to ask riders who come with mobile homes or caravans to fill up their water supplies before they come on site.
For riders who due to these changes rather not take part in the Yorkshire round of the series we are happy to move your entry to one of the two remaining rounds of the 2010 series or to one of the 2011 rounds (dates and locations to be announced later in the year). If you want to change your entry please email us on info@mtb-marathon.co.uk.
The ride
Even with a venue change the actual ride is not affected. So if you want to read up on the course description and/or the profiles of the four courses on offer please go to: www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/grassington.php.
MBUK Spirit Awards
Our media Partner MBUK are doing their Spirit of Mountain Biking awards again in 2010 and will have their ‘people’ out on course scouting for the person who represents the ‘Spirit of Mountain Biking’. So make sure you look after each other, that you help people who might need help or be just a good Mountain Biker. You never know you might be one of the selected few who will be awarded for their actions. Follow the award in MBUK throughout the season.
If you can’t make it to the marathon weekend…
…than there a few other fun events happening over the next few weeks. The next Chain Reaction Cycles Marathon is not too far away with the next round taking place in Selkirk (Scottish Borders) on the 31st July-1st August. The event is a double round featuring the CycleOps Power Sportive on the Saturday followed by the CRC MTB Marathon on the Sunday. For details please go to:www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/selkirk.php.
If you are looking for something more taxing than why not check out the Gore Bike Wear TransWales powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport. This 7 day stage challenge is the ultimate MTB challenge in the UK and there are still a few places available. For details and to enter go to: www.mtbtransuk.co.uk.
Some more course and weather updates in the next couple of days.
After a sunny start to the season at the 1st round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sportin April the weather was even more impressive at the 2nd helping of the series. With temperatures above 25 degrease and no cloud in the sky the ride was a real challenge for everyone and probably saw quite a few people leaving the event with a sun burned neck as well as the cyclist typical tan lines.
The conditions on the ground leading up to the weekend were perfect making the trails course designer John Lloyd had put together fast and dusty. But there was not just marathon riding going on at the 2nd Builth Wells event in 2010 but also a variety of other cycle activities. With more than 1200 riders getting stuck in over the weekend the 2nd round of the series was another great success for this established series.
The weekend The 2nd event was also a double header with the CycleOps Power Road Sportive kicking things off on Saturday morning. Around 200 riders took up either of the two demanding road courses and saw themselves returning to a buzzing event village with a variety of traders waiting to welcome them home. The fastest riders on the 53mile long standard sportive made it over the line in 2hour and 48 minutes while the last rider rolling back into the event village was out there for more than 8 and a half hours. On the 86mile long course the quickest riders was back in just under 5 hours while the last rider over the line enjoyed the beautiful scenery for more than 9 hours. Once the sportive started coming to a deserved end the XC dirt eliminator took over given in particular the racers of tomorrow the chance to sample some great tracks in the Kids race.
Activities around the camp ground were very much focused around last minute preparations for the MTB Marathon, BBQing and just enjoying the fantastic weather the weekend was blessed with.
Registration opened at 7am the next morning to cope with the huge amount of riders who were trying to enter the event last minute. From then onwards everything was focused on MTB marathon riding and with the clock slowly makings its way towards the start time at 10am riders started to gather in the start arena. Exactly ay 10am more than 1000 riders lead out by former World Cup legend Gary Ford as well as marathon regular and equally legendary WC racer Nick Craig made their way into the hills for some 1st class marathon action. The weather added an extra level of difficulty to the event and the feed stations were even more sought after than they normally are. After just 75 minutes in the saddle the 1st rider in the mini marathon made his way over the finish line with the last rider finishing the riding tasks of the full distance and picking up the well deserved event T-shirt in 7 hours and 41 minutes.
The 2nd event of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport was a great success with lots of smiling (sunburned) faces coming over the line at Penmaenau Farm. But if you couldn’t make it to the May round don’t worry as the upcoming months have lots more new and great stuff up our sleeves.
Other events in the CHAIN REACTION CYCLES MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport 3-4th July
Grassington (MTB marathon to be run on Sunday) 31st July – 1st August Selkirk (CycleOps Power Road Sportive to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday) 18-19thSeptember
Ruthin (ELBNO Night Marathon to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)
Event supporters The event village was nice and busy with the newest and latest from most of our sponsors: Chain Reaction Cycles, Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport , Hotlines, Ghost, CycleOps, High5, USE, Magura, Schwalbe, CycleActive, Saris, Squirt, Buff, CTC, Phase9, Birzman, Alpina, Cafe2U, Gore Bike Wear and Fibrax.
Sportive and marathon Photos and Vito Sport Facebook
At this event we had 2 photographers out on the course; our regular photographer, Jon Brooke and his colleague - the idea being to give you an even greater selection of images to choose from. Check out Jon’s website where you can find your photos to view and to buy. Besides that the Vito Sport Team have put some fun photos and more up on their Facebook and Flickr sites.
Next marathon – Grassington on the 3-4th July 2010 Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it to the 2nd round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport in Builth Wells, as the next one is only a few weeks away. After enjoying perfect conditions and some great riding at the 1st and 2nd round the series will be heading north to the new location of Grassington in Yorkshire. This event will be the only ‘pure’ marathon weekend of the year with only the Sunday run MTB Marathon to focus on. Stunning views and never before used trails are waiting for the riders.
However this new addition to the line-up is enjoying surprising pre-entries. That mixed in with entry numbers of the event being restricted it is looking unlikely at this stage that there will be day entries available. So if you are keen to join us at the Yorkshire round than make sure that you get your entry in now.
To find out more about the Grassington round (including course description and profiles) please go to the event page. To place your entry please go directly to the entry page where you can either download an entry form or enter directly through the new online entry service.
GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 20010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
It is less than 3 months before the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 2010 (14-21st of August 2010) will be opening its doors. If you enjoyed the weekend and are keen to do the same high quality riding on some of the best trails Wales has to offer than make sure you get your entry is now. The entry is open and there are still places available. To find out more about the only UK 7 day mountain bike stage race and its unique concept please go to www.mtbtransuk.co.uk.
Kona Mash-Ups 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport The next event in our calendar is the 1st round of the KONA Mash-Up 2010 which will be taking place on the 12th June on the trails of the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike centre in Afan Forrest. The entry is limited so to secure your place for one, two or all three of the 2010 Mash-Ups make sure that you enter as soon as possible on www.konamashup.co.uk. We will give you a little bit more details on this unique event in one of our next newsletters.
Kona Bikefest 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
Finally just a quick mention of the upcoming Bristol Bikefest (5-6th June 2010) event which is taking place in just a few days. There is a great single track packed course waiting for the riders mixed in with a buzzing event village, Bath Ale stocked event bar and a huge variety of events and categories to get involved in. There are still places available (exception being the 12 hour solo event on Saturday) – so to secure your entry now please go to www.bike-fest.com …see you there.
Thanks again for everybody who came to the 2nd round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport. I hope you had as much fun as we had and we hope we can welcome you again at one (or maybe more than one) rounds of the series.
We are in the process of setting up the event village at the Penmaenau Farm in Builth Wells (post code: LD2 3RD) ready for the 2nd round of the 2010 series of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport taking part this weekend and we thought to let you know how things are looking over here.
Weather and Course:
The last few weeks have been dry in the area creating fantastic conditions for the road sportive as well as for the MTB Marathon. The single and double tracks are super smooth and just great fun to wiz along. The weather forecast for the weekend is perfect with temperatures over 20 degrease for both days. Saturday appears to be the warmer day of the two with a very slight breeze – ideal for a long day in the road saddle. Sunday’s temperatures are slightly lower but sunny with a light breeze - ideal weather really for the 2nd event of the season.
With the weather looking warm and dry for the weekend please make sure that you have enough to drink on your ride and that you bring to right equipment with you to carry sufficient water. There are feeding stations on the sportive and marathon course but they are there to supplement your supplies.
CRC and Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport at the 2nd round of the series
Title sponsor Chain Reaction Cycles will be attending the event with their mobile shop. The guys are bringing loads of kit with them including, lube, commuters, grips, brake pads, mudguards, chains, wheelsets, brakes, pedals, handlebars, cassettes, derailleurs, xc clothing, t-shirts, helmets, gloves etc etc. So make sure you pop by in case you are missing anything or you just feel like shopping. You will also find the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport team near the registration showing off some super nice Vito-Sports. Make sure you check them out.
Sport prizes at the 2nd marathon - pick up the marathon Buff at the 2nd event:
Long standing sponsor Buff has provided us with lots of lots of MTB-Marathon Buffs which we will be using as spot prizes at the event for everybody we believe needs a little reward. So make sure you keep that in mind when you come over the lines at the 1st event in Builth. For further details on this fantastic piece of headwear check out the Buff website
Can I still get in? Entry on the day?
There are still lots of places available for the 2nd Builth Wells round as well as the other remaining rounds of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010. You can still enter the sportive as well as the MTB marathon via the online entry but if you enter after Friday lunchtime don’t be surprised that your name will not be on the entry list. No worries though we can look you up and add you to the start list.
If you can’t make up your mind then you can also enter the sportive or/and the MTB marathon on the day. But please be aware that we have a £5 day entry surcharge. So why not enter today – save yourself some money and the hassle!
MBUK Spirit Awards
Our media Partner MBUK are doing their Spirit of Mountain Biking awards again in 2010 and will have their ‘people’ out on course scouting for the person who represents the ‘Spirit of Mountain Biking’. So make sure you look after each other, that you help people who might need help or be just a good Mountain Biker. You never know you might be one of the selected few who will be awarded for their actions. Follow the award in MBUK throughout the season.
If you can’t make it to the marathon weekend…
…than there a few other fun events happening over the next few weeks. If you fancy some super sweet relay racing action than make sure you check out the Kona Bristol Bikefest on the 5-6th June. And if you prefer your trails to point down when the clock is running have a good look at the 1st round of the Kona Mash-Ups in Glyncorrwg on the 12th June. For details on the Mash-Upsclick HERE.
Only a few days now before our Builth Wells Cycle Festival as part of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport will get going on the 22-23rd May at the Penmaenau Caravan Park in Builth Wells on the.
As mentioned in our latest couple of newsletters and on the website the 2nd Builth event is far from being a re-run of the April event but our own little take on a cycle festival featuring a variety of cycling activities.
Extended CycleActive programme: One of which are the CycleActive guided rides which will take place on Saturday. Here all the details:
The intermediate / advanced skills rides will depart from the site at 12:00pm, 2:30pm and 5:00pm on Saturday. These will be aimed at intermediate to advanced riders and cover technical climbing, high speed descending, vision training and manuals. The rides will not cover a great distance but will be a useful pre-event warm-up and skills refresher from the UK’s leading mtb instructors.
The novice / intermediate skills rides will depart at 1pm and 3pm on Saturday. These will cover a range of core techniques and offer a more flexible coaching approach, depending on the needs and interests of the riders.
The instructors for these sessions are Chris Ford and Rich Barnard from CycleActive. Between them they’ve trained thousands of mountain bikers at every level, and their ability to observe, analyse and correct your riding is quite incredible. The sessions are free as part of their sponsorship of the CRC Marathon series, but you need to sign up early to book your place.
To register email admin@cycleactive.co.uk with the session you want to book, the time you will be there and your full name.
Event line-up and time table:
Friday 6 – 9pm Registration open (day entries possible)
Saturday 7 – 10am Registration open (day entries possible)
Saturday 8.30 – 10am Open start of the CycleOps Power Road Sportive
Saturday 12noon – 8pm Registration open (day entries possible)
Saturday throughout the day – CycleActive Activities – please see above
Saturday approx. 5pm – start of the XC Dirt Eliminator and Kids races
Saturday approx. 6pm – pasta part for all marathon riders
Sunday 7 – 9am Registration open (day entries possible)
Sunday 10am Start of the CRC MTB Marathon
If you need more info:
To find out more on the 1st CycleOps Power Road Sportive of the season (including maps, course details and profiles) please go to the Builth event page on the CycleOps Power Sportive event website www.roadsportives.co.uk/builth.php.
For some more info on the XC Dirt Eliminator and Kids races please call John Lloyd on 01982 552923 or email us on info@mtb-marathon.co.uk. There is no pre-entry for the events. Simply sign on when you arrive at the event. Race action will start at 5pm on Saturday.
Fir further details on the Sunday run CRC MTB Marathon which will have four different distances on offer please click here.
You can still enter and save yourself £5 day entry surcharge!
You can still enter the CRC Marathon via the online entry or the downloadable entry form which you can find on www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php. Please make sure that your entry forms arrive at our registration office no later than Thursday (20th May) or Friday lunch time if you are entering via the online entry. To enter the CycleOps Power Road Sportive please go to www.roadsportives.co.uk/entry.php. We will be taking day entries but there is a £5 surcharge.
Weekend Tickets
With two events on offer we will have once more the discounted weekend ticket which will give riders who want to take part in both events over the weekend (sportive on Saturday and MTB Marathon on Sunday) a £ 10 discount offering the whole for a combined price of £45.
With the 1st event of the Chain Reaction Cycles (www.chainreactioncycles.com) MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport (www.vitosport.co.uk) over the focus now turns to the 2nd round in Builth Wells on the 22-23rd May which will be our own take of a cycle festival in the birthplace of the MTB Marathon Series.
What is on offer?
The May round in Builth Wells will be an action packed cycling weekend with the CRC MTB Marathon as the ‘headliner’ of the activity line-up. Here what the festival weekend has to offer:
CycleOps Power Road Sportive On Saturday of the event weekend we have the 1st event of the CycleOps Power Road Sportives (www.roadsportives.co.uk). Two courses will be on offer – a 53mile short course and an 88mile long course. Both will show off the fantastic road riding Mid Wales has to offer and will offer the rider a challenging and rewarding ride. You can find course details including profiles, maps and course description on the Builth Wells event page (www.roadsportives.co.uk/builth.php).
XC Dirt Eliminator and Kids races
As a special little something we are going to run a XC Dirt Eliminator where 4 riders will battle it out over a short course located at the rear of the event village. The fastest two riders will go onto the next round till we get to the final. Mixed in with the XC Dirt Eliminator will be Kids races on the same course including categories over and under 12 years old. The entry to the XC Dirt Eliminator and Kids races are free of charge. There is no pre-entry for the events. Simply sign on when you arrive at the event. Race action will start at 5pm on Saturday.
Cycle Active Guided Rides
The guys from CycleActive (www.cycleactive.co.uk) – our long standing skills and holiday partner – are not just running their popular skills sessions on site but they will also take charge of some guided rides which will be run on Saturday. If you want to make sure you get a place please email chris@cycleactive.co.uk.
CRC MTB Marathon
The main event of the weekend is going to be the CRC MTB Marathon powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport which will kick off at 10am on Sunday morning and will have 4 different courses and course lengths on offer. Contrary to the 1st round of the series this event will have the long marathon on offer for all the endurance fanatics out there. John has made use of the huge amount of trails and tracks to choose from and has created a completely different set of courses so that even the regular Builth Wells marathon riders will be pleased to have returned!
To find out more about the May round (including course description and profiles) please go to the Builth Wells event page. To find out all the details on the 1st road sportive of the season please go to www.roadsportives.co.uk//builth.php. The entry for both events is open. To enter the MTB Marathon please go directly to the entry page where you can either download an entry form or enter directly through the new online entry service. To enter the CycleOps Power Road Sportive please go to www.roadsportives.co.uk/entry.php.
Weekend Ticket and day entries
With two events on offer we will have again a weekend ticket which will give riders who want to take part in both events over the weekend (sportive on Saturday and MTB Marathon on Sunday) a £ 10 discount offering the whole for a combined price of £ 45. There will also be day entries available but there is a £ 5 day entry surcharge. So why not save yourself some money and enter now!
Video from the 1st round of the CRC MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
Our friends from Mercedes-Benz have been busy filming some stuff at the 1st round of the series.
Besides that Rory from Exposure Lights has been busy as well. Check out some moving images from the 1st ELBNO of the season here:
Happy watching!
Photos and website updates
If you haven’t managed to check out the fantastic photos from the 1st round make sure you go to www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk to check them out. All the photos from the ELBNO night marathon and the day marathon are on the site to view and to purchase.
Last year saw the sunny introduction of the new venue at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wellsand we had high hopes that the 1st round of the CHAIN REACTION CYCLES MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport would have an equally sunny start to the season. And to cut a long story short it was a busy, weather spoiled and fun packed marathon weekend for everybody.
With the week leading up to the event been rather blessed with dry conditions the trails were in perfect shape and luckily for everybody the weather conditions stayed sunny and the trail stayed dry. With more than 1300 riders over the weekend the 1st round was once again a busy start to the season.
The weekend
As over the last 5 years the only (as far as we know) night marathon the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT opened the season with almost 300 riders on the line. The event village opened at the usual time with a broad spread of exhibition and trade stands offering their services to the arriving crowds.
With darkness setting slowly in everybody lined up to get any last minute instructions and crossed their fingers during the draw for a set of Exposure Lights kindly donated by the event sponsor Exposure Lights presented by Rory Hitchens. With no further ado the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT finally got on the road at 7.45pm. Almost 300 riders made their way onto the specifically designed night marathon course in the hills surrounding Builth Wells. The conditions out on course were superb and super fast and after only 1 hour and 41 minutes the first rider came over the line of the 45km long course picking up the unique ELBNO T-shirt. Once passed the finish line and rewarded with the special finishers T-shirt the riders warmed up in the event hall with tea, coffee and cake and getting themselves ready for Sunday.
The lights in the hall finally went out at 2am highlighting the clear and cold night. Sunday morning came and the riders (campers and Sunday morning arrivees) were again greeted with glorious sunshine.
At the slightly later start time of 10.30am (to give all the night riders who wanted a second ride more recovery time) more than 1000 riders lined up to tackle one of the 3 single-track packed courses on offer. Even with a bad winter keeping riders from getting their ‘spring legs’ in time for the event the long distance remained the most popular distance of the weekend. Due to the high calibre field and the super conditions out on course the approx. 68km long ‘middle marathon’ was completed in just over 3 hours with the last rider crossing the line to pick up the well deserved event T-shirt after 7hours and 24minutes.
The 1st event was a great showcase of what the CHAIN REACTION CYCLES MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport is all about. If you couldn’t make it to the April round don’t worry as the upcoming months have lots more new and great stuff up their sleeves. Here a quick reminder when and where the next few events will take place.
Other events in the CHAIN REACTION CYCLES MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
22-23rd May --- Builth Wells (CycleOps Power Road Sportive to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)
3-4th July --- Grassington(MTB marathon to be run on Sunday)
31st July – 1st August --- Selkirk (CycleOps Power Road Sportive to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)
18-19th September --- Ruthin (ELBNO Night Marathon to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)
To find out more about the various locations go to the events page of the MTB-Marathon site and if you want to find out more about the CycleOps Power Road Sportive Series then please go to our newly created sportive site www.roadsportives.co.uk.
Event supporters
The event village was nice and busy with the newest and latest from most of our sponsors: Chain Reaction Cycles, Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport, High5, USE, Magura, Schwalbe, CycleActive, Saris, Squirt, Buff, CTC, Phase9, Birzman, Alpina, Cafe2U, Gore Bike Wear, Fibrax, and last but not least Exposure Lights. Without their help and dedication the 2010 series would not be possible.
Photos and website updates
At this event we had 2 photographers out on the course; our regular photographer, Jon Brooke and his colleague - the idea being to give you an even greater selection of images to choose from. Check out Jon’s website www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk where you can find your photos to view and to buy. We have also added the finish times to the site. Please check results page for details.
Next marathon – Builth Wells on the 22-23rd May 2010
Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it to the first round of the CHAIN REACTION CYCLES MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport in Builth Wells, as the next one is only a few weeks away. After enjoying perfect conditions and some great riding at the 1st round the 2nd round of the series will return to the birthplace of the MTB Marathon Series Builth Wells but will welcome the riders with a completely different weekend agenda and a new set of courses. Instead of a night marathon the 2nd Builth round will feature the 1st of the two CycleOps Power Road Sportives on Saturday before getting back in to MTB marathon action on Sunday morning. To find out more about the May round (including course description and profiles) please go to the Builth Wells event page. To find out all the details on the 1st road sportive of the season please go to www.roadsportives.co.uk/builth.php. The entry for both events is open. To enter the MTB Marathon please go directly to the entry page where you can either download an entry form or enter directly through the new online entry service. To enter the CycleOps Power Road Sportive please go to www.roadsportives.co.uk/entry.php.
GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 20010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
Besides the marathon we have the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 2010 (14-21st of August 2010) going on this summer. The entry is open and there are still places available. To find out more about the only UK 7 day mountain bike stage race and its unique concept please go to www.mtbtransuk.co.uk . To enter you can either download an entry form or make use of the online entry where you can pay by credit or debit cards.
KONA Mash-Ups 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
The entry to the KONA Mash-Up 2010 is also open and the entries are coming in thick and fast. This unique event allows the riders to test themselves on the many timed sections set up on the trails of the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike centre in Afan Forrest and new for 2010 at the Glentress trails in Scotland. The entry is limited so to secure your place for one, two or all three of the 2010 Mash-Ups make sure that you enter as soon as possible on www.konamashup.co.uk.
KONA Bikefest 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
Finally just a quick mentioning on the upcoming Bristol Bikefest (5-6th June 2010) event which falls in between the Builth Wells and Grassington round of the marathon series and which is one of the few events we get the chance to ride. For everybody who is interested there are still places available with the solo and pair entries for Saturday being most popular. Sunday is looking more open with the solo entries filling up quickly. If you fancy this laidback and super enjoyable 12/6/3 hour event that will keep you fit in between the marathons and as well as being an ideal training event for the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales check out www.bike-fest.com for details…see you there.
We are in the process of setting up the event village at the Royal Welsh Showground ready for the 1st round of the 2010 series of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport taking part this weekend and we thought to let you know how things are looking over here.
Weather and Course:
The last few days have seen a steady improvement in the weather and the courses are now in fantastic condition with the sun still doing a perfect job of drying them out further. The single and double tracks are super smooth and just great fun to wiz along. The weather forecast for the weekend is even better with lots of sun and temperatures close to 20 degrees. So we should have a great 1st event with a real Spring or even Summer feeling.
Sport prizes at the 1st marathon - pick up the marathon Buff at the 1st event:
Long standing sponsor Buff has provided us with lots of lots of MTB-Marathon Buffs which we will be using as spot prizes at the event for everybody we believe needs a little reward. So make sure you keep that in mind when you come over the lines at the 1st event in Builth. For further details on this fantastic piece of headwear check out the Buff website: www.buffwear.co.uk/pages/product-info/ways-to-wear.php
If you're unaware of Original Buff® then let us enlighten you. Part of the family of Buff® multifunctional headwear, Original Buff® is probably the most versatile piece of kit you will ever own. Worn in one of 13 different ways around the head, neck or wrist a Buff® is designed for all active sports enthusiasts. It wicks perspiration away from skin and is seamless making it ideal with protective headgear. Made from polyester microfibre treated Polygiene® (to stop the fabric harbouring odour causing bacteria) Buff® is wind-resistant, machine washable, fast-drying, and compactable, so you need never be without one. And, it won't fade or lose its elasticity. Available in over 100 gorgeous designs, Original Buff® offers fun, function and fashion. For hotter, sunnier weather, High UV Protection Buff®, made with Coolmax® Extreme, not only wicks faster but blocks at least 93% of UV rays too. Other Coolmax® products are Visor Buff®, Visor Buff® Evo 2 - a reversible cap and new Buff® Headband. There really is something for everyone so get into the Buff®!
Can I still get in? Entry on the day?
There are still lots of places available for the 1st Builth Wells round as well as the other remaining rounds of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010. You can still enter via the online entry but if you enter after Friday lunchtime don’t be surprised that your name will not be on the entry list. No worries though we can look you up and add you to the start list.
If you can’t make up your mind then you can also enter on the day. But please be aware that we have a £5 day entry surcharge. So why not enter today – save yourself some money and the hassle!
MBUK Spirit Awards
Our media Partner MBUK are doing their Spirit of Mountain Biking awards again in 2010 and will have their ‘people’ out on course scouting for the person who represents the ‘Spirit of Mountain Biking’. So make sure you look after each other, that you help people who might need help or be just a good Mountain Biker. You never know you might be one of the selected few who will be awarded for their actions. Follow the award in MBUK throughout the season.
Only a few days to go now before the 1st round of the 2010 series of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport will get started with the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon in Builth Wells on the 10th April.
Where, when, what? As in the years before the Night Marathon will be run on Saturday evening and will get started at approx. 7.30pm. The registration for the 1st event will open at 12pm (noon) on Saturday and will stay open till after the start of the night marathon. It will reopen on Sunday morning at 7am and will stay open till 9am. The start of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon is at 10.30am on Sunday morning – giving the night riders who want to go out again an extra half an hour in bed.
The event including the trade village, registration and camping will be based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells which will be signposted from Friday afternoon onwards. Simply make your way to Builth Wells and follow the signs to the event village. The event will be open from Friday afternoon all the way to Monday morning – ideal for everyone who wants to make a proper cycling weekend of the 1st round of the series.
Entries and entries on the day
Entries are still coming in. If you have sent your entry form in the post in the last couple of days we might not be able to get you the confirmation back in time. But don’t worry – everybody will get in. You don’t need a confirmation to sign on. The online entry ( www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php) will stay open till Friday lunch time. Please make sure you don’t enter after that as we might not be able to get your entry in time. If you haven’t entered at all but still want to come along and ride the ELBNO night marathon and/or the Spring marathon simply come to the registration in the event village and enter on the line. Please be aware that there is a £5 surcharge for entries on the day. Don’t forget that there is £15 discount if you enter both events. So even if you have entered one event already and decide on the day that you quite fancy the other one as well then the event you enter on the day will have a £15 discount.
High5-Online.com
The guys from www.high5-online.com will be at registration with lots of fantastic deals for all of us – for this event we’ve arranged for everyone taking part to try an EnergySource Xtreme. Mix and drink this before the ride on Sunday and feel the difference it makes – while you are picking up your freebie get stocked up with EnergyGel and have 1 or 2 per hour of riding and you will stay strong right to the end. They will also be doing their bottle swap again so bring all your older bottles and swap them for new ones.
Exposure Lights – charging station and competition
The guys from Exposure Lights the 'name provider' and the lighting sponsor of the Exposure Lights Big Night Out (ELBNO), now in it's 5th successful year. They will be on site with the multi award winning range of cable free designed Exposure MaXx lights including the much loved MaXx-D front light, Joystick MaXx helmet lights and the much loved Diablo amongst their other lighting offers. So go over and check it all out when you get to the event village. The guys will also have their charging station on site for everyone that needs a quick top up for their lights. Please be aware though that the charging station is only for top ups and that everybody should make sure that they come with their lights fully charged. Riders have to make sure that they carry sufficient lighting (front and back – there are road sections too) for the duration of the event. All finishers this year will receive the new ELBNO finisher T-shirt for completing the ride plus the traditional coffee, tea and cake when crossing the finish line. The CRC crew will have some Exposure lights for sale at their stand in case you are looking for a new light.
Gore Bike Wear – Try B4 U Buy As the official clothing sponsor of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series for the third consecutive year GORE BIKE WEAR™ is giving you the chance to test out some of their gear for free. GORE BIKE WEAR™ and its retail partner WHEELBASE will lend you a jacket, shirt, vest or gilet to test and give the once or twice over during your ride. GORE BIKE WEAR™ products are made from highly durable technical fabrics such as GORE-TEX® and WINSTOPPER® products and designed to enhance your cycling experience whilst allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead of you.
If you aren’t sure what to test out ask the on-site technical team for advice. You simply hand back what you’ve tested at the end of your ride (they will even wash it for you!) and if you like what you’ve tried you can purchase a new one in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season on www.gorebikewear.co.uk
What else is going on?
As always at our events we will have an event catering setup on site supported by the guys from Cafe2You with the coffee van. Our title sponsor Chain Reaction Cycles will have a retail outlet on site and the guys from Mercedes-Benz will have a couple of spotless Vito vans on display. If you should need pre or post sports massage than make your way over to the guys from the Extreme Sports Therapy Unit and if you should want to polish up your riding skills or get the download on the latest cycling holidays than see the team from CycleActive when you arrive at the event.
Directions to the event location
The event village is based on the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells ( www.rwas.co.uk/society). The Royal Welsh Showground has lots of hard standing and hard parking for everyone and has plenty of 1st class facilities – simply the ideal location for the first 2010 MTB Marathon. The camping areas are well drained and there are lots of linking roads all over the showground for easy access. For directions to the event location please go here: www.rwas.co.uk/en/society/how-to-find-us. The event will be signposted from Friday lunchtime onwards. It doesn’t matter where you are coming from as you will easily find your way to the event village. The event will be open from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. For the GPS users out there the postcode is LD2 3SY. If you are still looking for a B+B or a Hotel please find the details for the local Tourist Information on our Local Info page:www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/local_services/local_services.php".
Weather forecast and course condition
Even with rain being fairly frequent in the area over the last few weeks (as everywhere else) the conditions on the ground are surprisingly good with the ground drying quickly and the wind helping along nicely. The weather forecast for the week is very good with no rain and the sun coming out. So as it looks we are going to have a spring like start to the season once more.
Only a couple of weeks to go before the 1st event of the 2010 season will kick off at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. The 10th and 11th of April are the two days when the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport will take place starting things off with the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT Night Marathon at 7.30pm on Saturday (10th April) evening.
EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon – 10th April 2010
Now in it's 5th year, the innovative Exposure Lights Big Night is the largest mass start MTB night marathon, attracting 300+ riders to the start line. This year Exposure have stepped up their sponsorship of the new Chain Reaction Cycles marathon series and added a second Big Night Out date at the Ruthin event, 18th September. It's likely this will be even more popular at a time of year when riders have "found their legs" and will rellish the challenge for a "double whammy" weekend ride.
Exposure Big Night Out also has a new image logo bringing and element of partyness to the ride. "We have always wanted the Big Night Out to be all about the vibe, the experience, the fun and the stories you'll tell the morning after" says Exposure's Rory Hitchens, "Much like a good night out at a party really. The atmosphere on the ride is great and the sense of adventure is really there when you head off into the big mountains in the dark following a trail of riders lights ahead of you." The new image of the event shows the party side to the event, featuring a retro style ghetto blaster and this design carries over to a fresh new finishers T-shirt for the Spring event and a custom designed BUFF for the Autumn event.
John has spent lots of time on the 1st course of the year refining the much loved course of 2009 to make it just that little bit better for 2010. The night riding enthusiasts can expect an approx. 43km long course with around 1200meters of climbing at the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon which consists of a well balanced combination of fast forest roads, heather lined double tracks over the moors and challenging single track. As in the years before the finishers will have coffee, tea and cake waiting for them as well as receive a ELBNO finish T-shirt as their finishing gift. Make sure you enter in advance to keep the hassle on the day and the queuing time at registration to a minimum. To enter go to (www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php) and to find out more about the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT or to download the course details go to: www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/exposure.php.
CRC Spring Marathon – 11th April 2010
The feedback on last year’s spring marathon courses was very positive so that they have remained largely unchanged. We will have again three courses on offer offering a broad mix of fast forest roads, rolling double tracks and lots of enjoyable single track. You can find out the length, amount of climbing and feed station positions for the three Spring marathon courses on offer by simply going to:www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/builth_wells_spring.php. Sunday morning in particular will be super hectic. So to save yourself some last minute trouble as well as the £5.00 day entry surcharge make sure you enter in advance – either via our online entry or paper entry form (more on:www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php)
Borrow, Test, Return – Some GORE BIKE WEAR™ for free
As the official clothing sponsor of the CRC Marathon Series for the forth consecutive year GORE BIKE WEAR™ is giving you the chance to test out some of their gear for free. GORE BIKE WEAR™ will lend you a jacket, shirt, vest or gilet to test and give the once or twice over during your ride. GORE BIKE WEAR™ products are made from highly durable technical fabrics such as GORE-TEX® and WINSTOPPER® products and designed to enhance your cycling experience whilst allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead of you.
If you aren’t sure what to test out ask the on-site technical team for advice. You simply hand back what you’ve tested at the end of your ride (they will even wash it for you!). Take a look at the new stock for this season at: www.gorebikewear.co.uk.
Keep yourself fit to ride with a little help
The Extreme Sports Therapy Unit will be on site providing pre and post event sports massage to competitors at the April round of the CRC marathons. The unit is manned by students from the City College Norwich studying Sports Therapy. Coupled with a warm up and cool down, sports massage will improve performance and recovery. The guys will not charge for their services but as they are a self funding unit they do rely on donations. Please check out their website for further details: www.ccnxsports.co.uk.
CycleActive at the 2010 Marathons
This year CycleActive will once again be at the marathon series events, providing coaching for adults on Saturday and junior riders or partners who don’t ride the event on Sunday.
Saturday – Bespoke Skills Sessions: The huge popularity of CycleActive’s skills Q&A series on BikeRadar has prompted them to try a new approach to skills sessions for adults this season. Instead of them setting the targets – you can. If you want to ride faster in singletrack, pop the front wheel up more smoothly, corner quickly through multiple turns or climb super-technical terrain with ease – whatever you want to achieve, CycleActive can show you how to make it happen. Just email chris@cycleactive.co.uk and the sessions will be planned around your requests. There will be sessions at 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm and you can sign up using the same email address – maximum 8 riders per session, but others can watch and listen in.
Sunday – Junior Skills: In the morning the junior riders can come to CycleActive for some great core skills training, as they work on braking, controlled skids, fast turns and overall bike balance. After lunch the sessions change, the ramps come out and it’s all about riding skinnies, pumping the bike for lift off and maybe progressing on to pumped bunny hops and wheelies.
Enter now:
Entries have been coming in thick and fast over the last few weeks but don’t worry, there are still places left. If you haven’t entered yet make sure that you either download an entry form from our website or go directly to the Chain Reaction Cycles hosted online entry. If you enter online via the CRC website you will be given a 5% discount on your next product purchase. For all the details please go to our entry page on the MTB-Marathon website: www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php. Here you can choose between or the good old paper download entry.
Gore Bike Wear TransWales 2010 powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport:
The entry to the 4th TransUK - the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 2010 (14-21st of August 2010) is open and there are still places available. To find out more about the only UK mountain bike stage race and its unique concept please go to www.mtbtransuk.co.uk. To enter you can either download an entry form or make use of our new online entry where you can pay by credit or debit cards.
Kona Mash-Up powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport – online entry now open:
The online entry for the Kona Mash-Up powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport is now open giving everybody the chance to enter one, two or even all three events of the 2010 line-up conveniently over the internet. All the details including the online entry are available on the event website: www.konamashup.co.uk
Temperatures are still low but there is no denying that spring is trying its best to break through. And with spring approaching the 1st round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport can’t be far away. In fact we are talking only four weeks from now.
1st event of the season – 10-11th April, Builth Wells:
Traditionally (or at least for the last six years) the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon will kick off the series in style on the 10th April at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. The approx. 43km long night marathon will be followed by the Sunday run Spring marathon will have a 28km long Mini Marathon – ideal for beginners and families, a 51km half marathon or the 70km long distance available so that every rider can find the right distance for the day.
Riders who are going for the weekend double don’t need to worry about doing the same course twice as John Lloyd has thrown in lots of extra and different stuff in for Sunday. They will also get rewarded with a £ 15 discount on the overall price. The event is based on the Royal Welsh Showground which has lots of hard standing, perfect access roads and facilities and is only a very short walk from the centre of Builth Wells. You can find the details on the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon here and on the Spring marathon here.
Course details and other updates on website:
You can now find all the course details including a brief course description, course length, profiles, amount of climbing and approximate distance between service stations on the various event pages. So if you are keen to find out what you let yourself in for make sure you have a look on the event of your choosing.
Besides that we have made the MTB-Marathon guidebook available as a download on our site. So if you are not on our database or you live outside the UK then have a look on our homepage for the download.
Pick up the marathon Buff at the 1st event:
Long standing sponsor Buff has provided us with lots of lots of MTB-Marathon Buffs which we will be using as spot prizes at the event for everybody we believe needs a little reward. So make sure you keep that in mind when you come over the lines at the 1st event in Builth. For further details on this fantastic piece of headwear check out the Buff website.
Enter now:
Entries have been coming in thick and fast over the last few weeks with the new event in Grassington and Selkirk being very popular early on in the season. If you haven’t entered yet make sure that you either download an entry form from our website or go directly to the Chain Reaction Cycles hosted online entry. For all the details please go to our entry page on the MTB-Marathon website. Here you can choose between or the good old paper download entry.
Gore Bike Wear TransWales 2010 powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport:
The Gore Bike Wear TransWales 2010 powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport – 7 day stage event will take place on the 14-21st August and will be once more the highlight of the UK MTB endurance calendar. With a distance of over 500km and climbing of over 15,000meter this event is the perfect opportunity to test yourself as well as to discover the fantastic riding central Wales has to offer. Event details including the newly updated stage breakdown as well as entry facilities can be found on the TransWales website:www.mtbtransuk.co.uk.
Kona Mash-Up powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport:
A still relatively new addition to our events schedule the Kona Mash-Up powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport returns in 2010 with now three events. Two of them will take place at the birthplace of the Mash-Up – Glyncorrwg with the new edition taking place in Glentress. The 1st event is taking place in Glyncorrwyg on the 12th June so make sure you get your entry is quickly. All the details including downloadable entry form is available on the event website:www.konamashup.co.uk
Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport The CRC MTB Marathon Series, now powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport.
For 2010 the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series is being supported by Mercedes-Benz and the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport van. This versatile vehicle delivers on style without compromising practicality. The Vito Sport will be on site at the event, showing off its assets and why it’s got the mountain bikers’ seal of approval.
Website and online entry now live:
As you can see the event website for the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport www.mtb-marathon.co.uk is now up-to-date and ready for visitors. You can find all the details on the general marathon concept and lots of information, facts and figures on the 5 events. Besides that the website features a detailed and event specific training plan as well as lots of technical and diet information. New for 2010 is that the online entry will be hosted on Chain Reaction Cycles offering fast and straight forward entry into the events paired with the rather attractive offer of a 5% discount voucher for your next CRC goods purchase. But don’t worry if you do prefer the good old paper entry, that option will still be available via the entry page on the event website. Sorry here no 5% discount though.
We will keep updating the site with the latest news, further course details and anything marathon related throughout the season so make sure you keep coming back to check out what is new.
1st event of the season:
Traditionally (or at least for the last six years) the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon will kick off the series in style on the 10th April at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. The approx. 40km long night marathon will be followed by the Sunday run Spring marathon will have 3 different distances on offer and will start just that little bit later. Riders who are going for the weekend double don’t need to worry about doing the same course twice as John Lloyd will throw in lots of extra and different stuff in for Sunday. They will also get rewarded with a £15 discount on the over all price. You can find the details on the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon here and on the Spring marathon here.
Entry now open:
You can enter all the events (including the CycleOps Power Road Sportives – available at the May Builth Wells and Selkirk event) via the entry page. Here you can choose between the Chain Reaction Cycles hosted online entry or the good old paper download entry.
MTB-Marathon Guidebook 2010:
The MTB-Marathon Guidebook 2010 will be ready for dispatch at the beginning of March and will be sent to everyone who has taken part in the events in the past. If you have moved since the last time you received a copy or want to receive a copy (FOC) simply send your postal address to info@mtb-marathon.co.uk. The booklet will be full of reviews from 2009, details about the 2010 events, tips and tricks from the world of marathon riding and details on all the other events we will be running in 2010. With the MTB-Marathon Guidebook you will receive the TransWales 2010 guidebook.
MTB-Marathon Newsletter:
As in years gone past we will carry on with our MTB-Marathon newsletter which will give riders and everyone who is interested last minute updates and important information on the upcoming events. But there will be more. The guys from Chain Reaction Cycles will add special and exclusive MTB-marathon series offers to the newsletters. So if you are not already on the data base make sure that you subscribe to it via www.mtb-marathon.co.uk and also make sure that your spam filter lets our emails through.
GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 2010 - the 7 day MTB stage Challenge - 14-21st August 2010. For details and entry forms please go to www.mtbtransuk.co.uk
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Spring 2010):
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The guys from High5-Online will be there with lots of special offers to keep you fuelled and hydrated during the rides – get stocked up with gels and bars to eat to keep you going and drink sachets to keep you hydrated – it’s going to be another warm weekend so please don’t take any chances. They will also be doing their bottle swap so bring all your old bottles and swap them off for some new ones. Don’t forget you can also buy 
As the official clothing sponsor of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series for the third consecutive year GORE BIKE WEAR™ is giving you the chance to test out some of their gear for free. GORE BIKE WEAR™ will lend you a jacket, shirt, vest or gilet to test and give the once or twice over during your ride. GORE BIKE WEAR™ products are made from highly durable technical fabrics such as GORE-TEX® and WINSTOPPER® products and designed to enhance your cycling experience whilst allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead of you. 
CycleActive will once again be at the event, providing coaching for adults on Saturday and junior riders or partners who don’t ride the event on Sunday.
MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport showed once more the ‘versatility’ of the UK weather. Our 1st marathon in Yorkshire had a promising start with the majority of the riders arriving at the extraordinary setting right underneath the Kilnsey Crag in perfect summer conditions. But unfortunately the weather gods had something slightly different in mind for the marathon day. More than 1000 marathon riders lined up behind the Chain Reaction Cycles start arch ready to tackle one of the 4 demanding courses on offer. When the gun went at 10am it already started looking turbulent in the skies and only a short time after the last rider left the event venue rain and heavy winds added an extra element to the already challenging trails. 
Even with the challenging conditions and the last minute changes we had to make to the event the Yorkshire round of the MTB Marathon series was a great success and hopefully a great foundation for bringing an even better event to the area in 2011. 
Sunday morning started with registration opening at 7am ready to sign on the few riders who decided to turn up only a couple of hours before the rider and to sort out the riders who were waiting to grab one of the highly sought after cancellation places. From then onwards everything was focused on MTB marathon riding and with the clock slowly makings its way towards the start time at 10am riders started to gather in the start arena. Exactly ay 10am more than 1000 riders made their way along the bottom of the Kilnsey Crag before heading up into the hills along the infamous Mastiles Lane to start their marathon adventure.
The 2nd event was also a double header with the CycleOps Power Road Sportive kicking things off on Saturday morning. Around 200 riders took up either of the two demanding road courses and saw themselves returning to a buzzing event village with a variety of traders waiting to welcome them home. The fastest riders on the 53mile long standard sportive made it over the line in 2hour and 48 minutes while the last rider rolling back into the event village was out there for more than 8 and a half hours. On the 86mile long course the quickest riders was back in just under 5 hours while the last rider over the line enjoyed the beautiful scenery for more than 9 hours. Once the sportive started coming to a deserved end the XC dirt eliminator took over given in particular the racers of tomorrow the chance to sample some great tracks in the Kids race. 
Registration opened at 7am the next morning to cope with the huge amount of riders who were trying to enter the event last minute. From then onwards everything was focused on MTB marathon riding and with the clock slowly makings its way towards the start time at 10am riders started to gather in the start arena. Exactly ay 10am more than 1000 riders lead out by former World Cup legend Gary Ford as well as marathon regular and equally legendary WC racer Nick Craig made their way into the hills for some 1st class marathon action. The weather added an extra level of difficulty to the event and the feed stations were even more sought after than they normally are. After just 75 minutes in the saddle the 1st rider in the mini marathon made his way over the finish line with the last rider finishing the riding tasks of the full distance and picking up the well deserved event T-shirt in 7 hours and 41 minutes.
The event village was nice and busy with the newest and latest from most of our sponsors:
Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it to the 2nd round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport in Builth Wells, as the next one is only a few weeks away. After enjoying perfect conditions and some great riding at the 1st and 2nd round the series will be heading north to the new location of Grassington in Yorkshire. This event will be the only ‘pure’ marathon weekend of the year with only the Sunday run MTB Marathon to focus on. Stunning views and never before used trails are waiting for the riders. 
The next event in our calendar is the 1st round of the KONA Mash-Up 2010 which will be taking place on the 12th June on the trails of the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike centre in Afan Forrest. The entry is limited so to secure your place for one, two or all three of the 2010 Mash-Ups make sure that you enter as soon as possible on 
recovery time) more than 1000 riders lined up to tackle one of the 3 single-track packed courses on offer. Even with a bad winter keeping riders from getting their ‘spring legs’ in time for the event the long distance remained the most popular distance of the weekend. Due to the high calibre field and the super conditions out on course the approx. 68km long ‘middle marathon’ was completed in just over 3 hours with the last rider crossing the line to pick up the well deserved event T-shirt after 7hours and 24minutes. 
Series 2010 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport in Builth Wells, as the next one is only a few weeks away. After enjoying perfect conditions and some great riding at the 1st round the 2nd round of the series will return to the birthplace of the MTB Marathon Series Builth Wells but will welcome the riders with a completely different weekend agenda and a new set of courses. Instead of a night marathon the 2nd Builth round will feature the 1st of the two CycleOps Power Road Sportives on Saturday before getting back in to MTB marathon action on Sunday morning. To find out more about the May round (including course description and profiles) please go to the 
Temperatures are still low but there is no denying that spring is trying its best to break through. And with spring approaching the 1st round of the Chain Reaction Cycles MTB Marathon Series powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport can’t be far away. In fact we are talking only four weeks from now. 
The CRC MTB Marathon Series, now powered by the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport.
