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NEWS... |
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03.08.10 Selkirk event report HERE>> |
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28.07.10 Selkirk Event News HERE>> |
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06.07.10 Grassington event report HERE>> |
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30.06.10 News update before the Yorkshire round HERE>> |
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24.06.10 IMPORTANT NEWS from the Grassington Round HERE>> |
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25.05.10 News and Photos from the Builth Marathon HERE>> |
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21.05.10 News from the Builth event showground HERE>> |
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19.05.10 Only a couple of days before the Builth event, latest HERE>> |
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26.04.10 Youtube videos and more from the first event HERE>> |
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19.04.10 News report from the first of this years Marathons HERE>> |
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09.04.10 News from the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells...HERE>> |
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06.04.10 Only a couple of days to go before the first event of 2010 - latest event news HERE>> |
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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>> |
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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>> |
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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>> |
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2009 News HERE>> |
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2008 News HERE>> |
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2003 |
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Rhayader Event Review
So this was it, the first event of the first year that the 100 MTB
Marathon series would kick off in its new format, and the venue to
hold that honour would be Rhayader, in mid-Wales. Rhayader, an ancient
town with signs of human habitation dating way back to the Neolithic,
is set in the beautiful upper Wye Valley at 700ft above sea level.
The surrounding landscape is varied - with a huge expanse of open
hill country to the west, and forest to the east; the Grampian Mountains
aren’t too far away and the spectacular flooded Elan Valley
is also just off to the west, providing a beautiful backdrop to 2003’s
first round. Almost 950 riders descended upon the town for the event,
which was by comparison to previous years an impressive number. For
their effort, they were rewarded with superb weather: something that
the rest of the year’s marathon events would also be the fortunate
benefactors of; someone up there must really like mountain bikers...
The venue for the event village was the town’s Rugby Club,
where the pasta party rocked and rolled with riders getting their
carbs in the night before for the big push on the Sunday. But it
wasn’t just the riders who were getting their carbs in for
the days efforts either - apparently Mark Aldridge’s kids
got in on the act to aid their vocal endurance;
“The whole family enjoyed the weekend for the pasta party
for helping to call out the finishers on the Sunday.”
No plans for getting them hooked up on a tag-a-long to give you
the full vocal support deal around the whole 100km yet?! Imagine
the shear hell of it: ‘Pedal Dad, pedal! You’re not
even trying: even Gran could go faster than this!’ Phew, probably
a good idea to leave them for 100km of wilderness for a few hours...
“The course was very challenging, with lots of climbs and
fast, technical downhill singletrack,” John Lloyd remembers.
“Being such a challenging course, the distance was kept down
to 90km.” Rhayader featured more forest trails than either
the Builth Wells or Ruthin rounds, bringing a whole spaghetti network
of twisty singletrack into play for the grin factor of the riders,
with the general feedback from riders saying that this course was
demanding but enjoyable.
“After taking part last year at Rhayader, I swore never again.
I’m glad that I didn’t keep my word,” Gayle told
the Marathon team. “It was brilliant and an unforgettable
day for all the right reasons.”
The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly - like all of the MTB Marathons
it’s you guys and gals, the riders who make it what it is.
It was so good to see that easy going, nature getting busy - whether
in the saddle or on the grass at the start and finish area, the
atmosphere really is unique,
“It’s a non-competitive atmosphere, which brings people
closer together when they cup of tea sitting on the grass at the
finish,” said co-organiser Mike Wilkens.
As it was the first event of the year there was a fair amount of
newcomers to the MTB Marathon - with a large amount of people, far
more than Mike or John would’ve thought, coming up to thank
them and the team for such a great time,
“People were coming over the line, cramping up with a misery
of fatigue setting in but all the same with a smile on their face
saying, ‘Thanks a lot, this was wicked - see you at the next
one.’”
And you can’t ask for anything more than that.
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2003 |
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