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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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2005 |
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Exposure Lights Big Night Out &
Spring Marathon Event Review
A double header with lashings of night time action opens the 2005
season with all guns firing
Builth Wells is where it all started way back in the mists of the
millenium in 2000. Last year saw it play host to a very special double
header event: an all new spring marathon and the first ever night
time marathon*, the Exposure Lights Big Night Out (ELBNO); events
that saw Builth further deepen its foundation as the UK’s spiritual
home for mountain bike marathon riding.
Born from the collaborative inspiration between Rory Hitchens at Exposure
Lights and Mike and John of the Merida 100 team, the ELBNO took place
on the Saturday night and opened up the 2005 Merida 100 MTB Marathon
Series with over 5,000 Watts of combined halogen, HID and S-LED lighting
power scorching the earth and blazing the way for more to follow.
The ELBNO was all about getting out on a real, bona fide adventure:
“What is on offer,” explained Rory, “is a true wild
spaces night ride rather than just laps of a course, but with safety
in numbers and good organisation.”
Heading out to the hills that lie north east of Builth, John had put
together a 43km long course made up of a completely new set of trails
that had previously never been touched by any of the Merida 100s.
Taking in 991m of vertical ascent and descent, it included the cream
of the old NPS (National Points Series) cross country course with
its steeply carving singletrack and sustained climbs, and saw almost
300 riders snaking silently along its length.
In the lead up to the weekend the weather had been changeable and
the mercury on the thermometers had dropped into the low minus figures.
In places, especially on the forest singletrack, the moisture had
made itself known by spraying PTFE over the off-camber roots and mixing
up friction-free mud that kept riders on their toes, offering more
to the challenge with lashings of slip sliding fun. The surprise of
free tea and cake in the middle of nowhere at the service station
helped keep spirits buoyed and warm the cockles, before riders punched
on their lights once more and slipped back into the darkness.
Exposure Lights had brought along their test fleet, and many riders
had one of the sleekly compact units bolted to their bars, complete
with a custom laser etched back plate with their names on that they
could take away as a free souvenir of their night time pedal mashing.
On the finish line riders were also presented with limited edition
ELBNO/Spring Marathon thermal mugs that were their tickets to free
tea and coffee for the night in the event marquee, where they could
finally kick back and settle into a good film courtesy of the What
Mountain Bike cinema.
The Spring Marathon
The Spring Marathon itself, starting slightly later than usual on
the Sunday, saw 500 riders tackle an extended 70km course, moulded
from the bones of the previous night’s event but with an altogether
different arrangement. The clarity of day let many of the ELBNO riders
get a handle on where they went, where they nearly lost it, and to
soak in the views from 518m above sea level without the blanket of
night shielding the majesty of mid-Wales.
“It was awesome,” said Rory Hitchens afterwards, “It’s
been new ground we’ve been breaking and we were pleased to see
so many riders taking part. Considering that many of them were also
riding the next day and so early in the season it was pretty brave
of them!” Merida 100 event co-organiser Mike Wilkens agreed:
“Standing there at night waiting for the first person to come
over the line to get their feedback of what it was like out there
was something special,” he said, before continuing: “Going
by the number of people we had there we were certainly proven right
that there was an interest and a demand out there for this kind of
event.”
So can you expect to see the ELBNO back and better than ever this
year? You’re damn right it’ll be back: bigger and better
than ever. Make sure you don’t miss it!
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2005 |
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