Only a little more than two weeks now before the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon (and the GORE BIKE WEAR Road sportive) will descend onto the 2nd new location of the 2009 season. The birthplace of lots of high profile cycling events LLanwrtyd Wells (only 10 minutes from Builth Wells) will be hosting the 3rd round of the marathon series and the opening round of the sportive series.

The summer is finally here and has shown everything you would expect from a UK summer so far but it has hopefully given everyone the chance to ride their bike (road or off road) as often as they wanted.

Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series – Llanwrtyd Wells 4-5th July 2009
The GORE BIKE WEAR Road Sportive will open the weekend on Saturday morning and the day after the sportive the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon will take place and the riders will set out to conquer one of the 4 distances on offer. John has been planning the courses here for the last few years and will finally get the chance to show off this very special mountain biking region to the riders. Llanwrtyd Wells which also hosts the Man vs. Horse and the Real Ale Wobble event (just to mention a few) is the ideal location for a MTB marathon and will welcome the riders and their entourage with Wales typical hospitality.

The four distances will be heading into the Irfon Forest and the Cambrian Mountains, then heading west to Llyn Brianne, the Towi Valley and the Doethie Valley, the latter has been described by many as the best natural single track in the country.

You can find all the details including further course details on the Llanwrtyd Wells mountain bike rides on our event page. To secure your entry for the mountain bike marathon please go to the entry page.

Enter now!
Entries for the sportive and the mountain bike marathon are still available. To secure an entry for the GORE BIKE WEAR Road Sportive and either download an entry form or enter via the online entry. To enter the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon please go to the entry page and either download an entry form or enter via the online entry. There will be day entry for both available but please note that there is a £ 5 day entry surcharge – so make sure you enter in advance to save yourself some money!

Weekend ticket
Don’t forget that if you interested in entering both events over the weekend that there is a £ 10 discount to be had.

Services and support on site:
MTBWorks will be on site to help the riders to get ready for their ride as well as offer post ride support. The guys from are offering a complete package of pre- and post event physical therapy for optimal performance. So if you are in need for some sounds advice and want to make sure you get your well deserved rub down after the event best to drop the guys a line on mtbworks@gmail.com or visit www.mtbworks.com to book your personal session in.  

CycleActive Skills Arena - The team from CycleActive will be also on site offering their fantastic skills courses which will help you to get a good start into the 2009 mountain biking season. If you want to make use of the FOC offer at the 3rd round of the series please make sure that you book yourself in in advance as places are limited. To book a space on a skills ride email them at admin@cycleactive.co.uk. To find out more about CycleActive visit them at www.cycleactive.co.uk

Bad Goisern event (18th July)
With two event over and done with and the 3rd one just around the corner the summer seems to be coming closer and closer. The ‘Merida Marathon on holiday’ event in Bad Goisern, Austria is once more in the offerings with his broad range of courses on offer. Big mountains, clean air and thousands of other likeminded bikers from all over Europe can be found at this super event. Check out the details on the event and on the accommodation deal we have organised for you on the Bad Goisern page. There are some super cheap flights and a very interesting package deal to be had as well. Check the Bad Goisern page for details.

We have just returned from the 2nd round of the Merida Bikes MTB powered by MBUK Marathon Series 2009 which was hosted at the new location of the Glanusk Estate in Crickhowell giving all that took part four never before used courses. The weather turned the already challenging trails into an extra tough ride but that didn’t stop almost 900 riders entering the event.

2nd round of the Merida Bikes MTB Powered by MBUK Marathon Series – Crickhowell on the 17th May 2009
John has been looking at the area surrounding Crickhowell which sits between the softly rounded Black Mountains and the dramatic Brecon Beacons for some time and this year he finally managed to include this fantastic location into the series. With the weather offering everything in between warm sunny spells and rain all day on Saturday and even added hail storms to the line-up on Sunday the riders had a real challenge on their hands.

The 10am start on Sunday morning was as always a mass start affair which took the rider through the beautiful Glanusk estate, followed by promenading through Crickhowell before heading up into the hills. The 1st rider on the 35km long mini marathon came over the line in just over two hours while the last riders on the full (80km) marathon made it back into the event village at 6.14pm after 8 hours and 14 minutes on the trails.

Even with the heavy downpours the courses held up pretty well giving us confidence that Crickhowell is going to stay in the series for years to come.

With the 2nd event now being ‘done and dusted’ our attention goes towards the next new location in the series and the first round of the Gore Bike Wear Powered by Road CC Sportive Series 2009 – Llanwrtyd Wells. So if you enjoyed what John put together in Crickhowell wait till you get to Llanwrtyd Wells…it is amazing!

Watch the action and the scenery on MTB-Marathon.co.uk
For the 1st time we have real ‘moving’ footage from out on the trails. Alan Dupre rode more or less the entire event with a handlebar cam and put a nice 10minute clip together.

Merida MTB Marathon 50km review (take2) from AlDupes on Vimeo.

You can find all the details including further course details on the Llanwrtyd Wells mountain bike rides on our event page. To secure your entry for the mountain bike marathon please go to the entry page.

But there is more going on at the 3rd round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009 than just some fantastic mountain biking.

1st round of the Gore Bike Wear Powered by Road.CC Road Sportive Series 2009– Llanwrtyd Wells 4th July 2009
As you probably know following last years introduction the Gore Bike Wear Road Sportive Series will return in 2009 and will kick off on the 4th July in Llanwrtyd Wells. The sportive is based at the same event village and campground as the marathon – the only difference is it takes place on the Saturday. If you haven’t tried a sportive and want to find out more what our take on this growing part of the sport is please go to our sportive website.

The 1st round in Llanwrtyd Wells will have two challenging course on offer. The standard sportive with 50 miles and 1,600 meters of climbing and the classic sportive with 90 miles and 2,600 meters of climbing.

For more details on the 1st round of the Gore Bike Wear Road Sportive Series 2009 including profiles and course details please go to www.gorebikewearsportives.com/llanwrtyd_wells.php. To enter the sportives please go to the entry page on our sportive site.

Weekend ticket at next round
Don’t forget that if you interested in entering both events over the weekend that there is a £ 10 discount to be had.

Photos and website updates
Our event photographer Jon Brooke and his colleague Lauris Naglins were again on site as well as on course taking pictures of pretty much everybody. So just go onto Jon’s website and you can find your photos there to view or buy. We have also put the results up on our results page.



With the trails drying out quickly and the vegetation doing overtime the conditions out there getting better by the minute. Only a couple of days now before the 2nd round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon round will kick off at the new location in Crickhowell (Wales) on the 16-17th May – hope you can make it.

2nd round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series – Crickhowell on the 17th May 2009
Preparations are in full flow on the four mountain bike courses on offer on the 17th. As usual we will have the Mini Marathon (approx. 35km with 950m of climbing), Half Marathon (approx. 50km with 1400m of climbing), a Middle Marathon (approx. 70km with 2100m of climbing) and the Full Marathon (approx. 80km with 2400m of climbing) course option to choose from.

John Lloyd has been working hard on the four new courses and is rather pleased with the results. The four loops are a perfect mixture of swoopy double and single track which run primarily on mountain Mooreland and stony tracks. So besides being fast riding and fun packed they are also resistant to a little bit of bad weather and hard wear.

If you missed out on the 1st round in April and you are looking for a great mountain bike challenge than wait no longer and send your entry in now. You can find all the details on the Crickhowell round including profiles etc on the event page.

Can I still get in?
There are still lots of places available for the Crickhowell round as well as the other remaining rounds of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009. You can still send your entry forms in but please make sure that they arrive at our registration office no later than Friday. Alternatively you can enter via the online entry up to Friday lunchtime. You can find our entry facilities on the entry page.

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!

The event / time table
The event will be open from Friday afternoon onwards all the way till Monday morning. The event village and the registration will open at 12pm (noon) on Saturday. The registration will close at 8pm and reopen from 7 – 9am on Sunday morning. The rides start at 10am - all categories and courses start together. The pasta party will start around 6pm on Saturday.

The venue
The event is based at the Glanusk Estate just outside Crickhowell. Crickhowell is a thriving market town snuggling between the softly rounded Black Mountains and the dramatic Brecon Beacons, in arguably the most beautiful valley in the National Park. It is a lively, friendly place with excellent individual shops and many superb restaurants. Although in the heart of beautiful countryside, travel to and from Crickhowell is easy. London is 2 hours, Birmingham 1.5 hours, and Cardiff just 40 minutes. The nearest bus and railway station is Abergavenny, (6 miles). To find out more about the Glanusk Estate and for directions please go to:www.glanuskestate.com.

Win one of five ‘50% off’ vouchers from Merida
Our title sponsor Merida Bikes will again draw 5 riders just before the start of the ride and ‘reward’ them with a ‘50% off any Merida Bike voucher’. The only thing you have to do to be included in the draw is fill in the questionnaire which you can find in your signing on bag and put it the collection box before the registration closes on Sunday morning. Good luck!!

Borrow, Test, Return – Some GORE BIKE WEAR™ for free
As the official clothing sponsor of the Merida Bikes 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 from WHEELBASE in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season on www.gorebikewear.co.uk.

Merida Marathons on Holiday 2009 - Bad Goisern event (18th July)
With the summer seems to be coming closer and closer – Merida Marathon on Holiday in Bad Goisern (Austria) is also coming closer. If you haven’t been to the ‘Merida Marathon on holiday’ in your ‘marathon career’ maybe this is the year for you to cross the channel and experience some big mountains, clean air and thousands of other likeminded bikers from all over Europe – what a great combination! Check out the details on the event and on the accommodation deal we have organised for you on the Bad Goisern page. There are some super cheap flights and a very interesting package deal to be had as well. Check the Bad Goisern page for details.

Only two more weeks before series heads to Crickhowell

Services and support on site:

Event supporters

08.04.09 - Last update for the East Weekend Marathon

Only a few days to go now before the 1st round of the 2009 series of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathons will get started with the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon in Builth Wells on the 11th 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 Merida Bikes MTB Spring 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.

For further details on the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT Night Marathon go to www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/exposure.php and for the Spring marathon (including all the info on the various courses on offer) please go to the event page www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/builth_wells_spring.php or go straight to the entry page: www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php.

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 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.

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 Joystick MaXx head light.  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 a limited edition High Viz Exposure Big Night Out BUFF for completing the ride plus the traditional coffee, tea and cake when crossing the finish line.

Exposure's Rory Hitchens will be starting the ELBNO with his usual enthusiasm and another fantastic prize draw on the start line. Normally Exposure give away two of their world famous Joystick helmet lights but this year they are upping the stakes and giving away two custom engraved MaXx-D lights worth £325 each. These cable free units truly are "The Daddy" of all lights and pump out just short of 1000Lumens on MaXx, 3hrs+, setting but are also the perfect light for longer rides with the Ride setting perfect for all but the fastest downhill and burning for 10hrs+. Every year it seems Nick Craig and Stuart Bowers from Scott Racing are the first riders home in the ELBNO. They have been riding with Exposure Lights by choice since 2005. To enter for the prize draw all you have to do is take part in the ELBNO and be on the start line in time for the draw. Good luck.

Gore Bike Wear – Try B4 U Buy
As the official clothing sponsor of the Merida Bikes 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 from WHEELBASE in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season on www.gorebikewear.co.uk

Directions / NEW 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 an Easter weekend 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: HYPERLINK 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.

06.04.09
Just a week now before the doors to the event village at the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon opens at the new location of the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. The 11th and 12th of April are the two days when the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series powered by MBUK will get going with the start of the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT Night Marathon at 7.30pm on Saturday (11th April) evening.

BIGGER, BETTER, BRIGHTER BIG NIGHT OUT – 11th APRIL 2009
Back by popular demand for it's 4th year the 2009 Exposure Lights Big Night Out will again break records for the largest mass start Mountain Bike Night Ride in the UK. Whilst there are always some racers at the front vying for the honour of first place home and an early night to bed before Sunday's marathon, the big attraction of the ELBNO is the fantastic appeal of riding a challenging single loop course out in the dark over the Welsh Mountains with your fellow bikers for company. The route will be well marked and the ever popular half way tea, coffee and cake stop is a welcome break for those not in a hurry. All finishers this year will receive a limited edition High Viz Exposure Big Night Out BUFF for completing the ride.

The Exposure Lights team will be on hand to support the event and answer any technical queries or provide last minute light charging you might need before the event rolls out to the hills at dusk. If you need your lights charging make sure you bring your charger with you! There will NOT be any lights for hire. You MUST bring sufficient lights with you for this event (front and back - there are road sections too). Whilst Exposure would love to help out with hire, the event is so popular now they regret that it's not practical. If you need to improve your Lumens count on the night then there will be fully charged Exposure Lights available to purchase on the day.
 
Exposure's Rory Hitchens will be starting the ELBNO with his usual enthusiasm and another fantastic prize draw on the start line. Normally Exposure give away two of their world famous Joystick helmet lights but this year they are upping the stakes and giving away two custom engraved MaXx-D lights worth £325 each. These cable free units truely are "The Daddy" of all lights and pump out just short of 1000Lumens on MaXx, 3hrs+, setting but are also the perfect light for longer rides with the Ride setting perfect for all but the fastest downhill and burning for 10hrs+. Every year it seems Nick Craig and Stuart Bowers from Scott Racing are the first riders home in the ELBNO. They have been riding with Exposure Lights by choice since 2005. To enter for the prize draw all you have to do is take part in the ELBNO and be on the start line in time for the draw. Good luck.
 
Rory tells us that USE/Exposure's new Events Manager, John Cookson will also be at the Big Night Out and that there is also an exciting new product in the Exposure range that will be unveiled at their stand in the main marquee on Saturday. Make sure you make a visit to John and Rory to find out more (www.exposurelights.com).

SPRING MARATHON – 12th APRIL 2009
But there is more than just ‘the only UK night marathon’. On Sunday the 1st day marathon of the 2009 season will get started at the slightly later time of 10.30am. Three distances will be on offer giving you the chance to pick the right distance for your early season fitness. John has been busy over the winter finding and creating these courses which will be able to deal with pretty much anything you can throw at them. 80% of the course is new, offering even the hardened Builth Wells rider something new to look forward to. The course is in superb condition and John is keen to point out that almost all off road section are on the sweetest single and double track the area has to offer. To find out more on the Spring marathon and in particular about the new course simply go to:http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/builth_wells_spring.php.

Enter now!
There are still places available for the Exposure Lights Big Night Out Night Marathon and the Spring Marathon. The day entry is always extremely hectic so to save yourself the hassle of entering on the line and more importantly to save the £5 day entry surcharge make sure you enter now at:  http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php.

There will be day entry available but there is a £5 surcharge for entering on the day. Please make sure that you arrive early enough to give you plenty of time to park up, sort your equipment out and enter the events.

And don’t forget our special weekend offer where you can save yourself £15 on the combined entry fee if you enter the Exposure Lights Big Night Out and the Merida Bikes Spring Marathon.

High5-Online - the guys from www.high5-online.com will be there with their stand with lots of special offers on High5 Energy Drinks Bars and Gels to keep you going throughout the night and all the next day – don’t forget to bring any old bottles that you want to swap off for new ones – just take them over to the stand and they’ll take it from there – for lots of special deals why not head over www.high5-online.com and pick up a bargain.

Borrow, Test, Return – Some GORE BIKE WEAR™ for free
As the official clothing sponsor of the Merida Bikes 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 from WHEELBASE in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season on www.gorebikewear.co.uk

MTBWorks will be on site - keep yourself fit to ride with a little help
Don't let persistent injury, poor stretching or fatigue ruin your riding this season. MTBWorks will be at every round of the Merida Marathon offering a complete package of pre- and post event physical therapy for optimal performance. Specialist advice on injuries, self care and maintenance routines, plus a wide range of techniques from orthopaedic massage and facilitated stretching to sports acupuncture and cryotherapy. Book your race day massage in advance by emailing mtbworks@gmail.com or visit www.mtbworks.com. 

CycleActive Skills Arena
The team from CycleActive will be also on site offering their fantastic skills courses which will help you to get a good start into the 2009 mountain biking season. If you want to make use of the FOC offer at the 1st round of the series please make sure that you book yourself in in advance as places are limited. To book a space on a skills ride email them at admin@cycleactive.co.uk. To find out more about CycleActive visit them at www.cycleactive.co.uk

16.03.09
March is already here and April is hot on it’s heals…and April means that the 1st round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series powered by MBUK featuring the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT Night Marathon is fast approaching. It’s now less than 5 weeks to go before the series returns to Builth Wells where you can enjoy the new event location and the 3 new courses on offer.


EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon – 11th April 2009
The first new course on offer is the new EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT night marathon course which will be run on the evening of the 11th April. For years the night marathon has been the official opener to the series and 2009 will be no exception. A 50km course with around 1400meters of climbing will create a fantastic challenge and still leaving some in the tank for the Sunday morning Spring Marathon. The guys from EXPOSURE LIGHTS will be on site showing off their latest lighting developments and offering advice on what to look out for when ‘indulging’ in the fascinating world of night riding. This year’s special finishing present will be the new reflective BUFF which will be handed out to the riders alongside tea, coffee and cake when coming back over the finish line. So don’t miss out on this cracker of an opener and enter the event on our entry page. You can find further details on the EXPOSURE LIGHTS BIG NIGHT OUT on its event page.

New location for the April Builth Wells
For 2009 we have moved across the river back to the original event location when we started 10 years ago with the first ‘100’ event – the Royal Welsh Showground. With ample hard standing, tarmac access routes, a superb infrastructure and first class facilities the Royal Welsh Showground is the ideal location to host our 1st event in 2009. And the event is not much further from the shops, pubs, restaurants, hotel and B+Bs in Builth.

How to enter?
There are two ways to enter the events in 2009. You can either download an entry form and send it to us or you can use the online entry. To enter the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009 please go to the entry page on the MTB marathon site. To enter the GORE BIKE WEAR™ Road Sportive Series 2009 please go onto the designated sportive site www.gorebikewearsportives.com and click onto the entry page. Please don’t forget that we have a price reduced weekend ticket for all the events which have a ride on Saturday and a ride on Sunday.

Other events in the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009.
If you can’t make it to the April round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009 – don’t worry there is plenty more going on in our 2009 series. Here the other dates and location on offer.

15 - 16th May
Crickhowell (MTB Marathon to be run on Sunday)

4 - 5th July
Llanwrtyd Wells (GORE BIKE WEAR Sportive to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)

18th July
‘Merida Marathon on holiday’ Bad Goisern, Austria

1 - 2nd August
Selkirk (GORE BIKE WEAR Sportive to be run on Saturday and the MTB Marathon on Sunday)

19 - 20th September
Ruthin (GORE BIKE WEAR Sportive 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 GORE BIKE WEAR™ Road Sportive Series then please go to our newly created sportive site www.gorebikewearsportives.com.



Guidebook in its way to you as we speak
The last few weeks have been super hectic with putting together the MTB-Marathon and the TransWales ’09 guidebooks. The two booklets are once more packed with information and stories from the world of marathon riding and TransUK racing and will guarantee some fantastic reading. If you are on our database then you will receive them in the next few days. If you aren’t and you are keen to find out more about our events then simply send us your postal address to info@mtb-marathon.co.uk and will post you a copy FOC (UK only). If you prefer the downloadable version then simply download your copy from the magazine box on the right had of the screen.




Big investment for 2009 events and beyond
The rather harsh summer of 2008 has encouraged us even in these rather uncertain times to jump into the cold water and invest heavily into our equipment. For the 2009 series and beyond we have invested more than £ 35,000 into our own shower facilities which will allow us to have first class facilities wherever the venue is not able to offer them.




Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009 – entry now open

The 2009 Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series will be once more sported by our long standing and loyal sponsor Merida Bikes. For the 2009 series will again 5 UK events plus one ‘Merida Marathon on Holiday’ round in Austria up for grabs with all together 29 courses to choose from which will allow riders of all ability to find the ideal challenge.

Entry now open
We have now opened the entry by adding the downloadable entry forms and the updated online entry to the site. Riders will be able to enter all Merida bikes MTB marathons (except the Austria round) and Gore Bike Wear Sportives through the entry facilities. Click here to be taken directly to the Merida Bikes MTB marathon Series 2009 entry page.

Unfortunately the planned Barnoldswick round had to be cancelled due to excess issues which could not be overcome but rather than cutting the series down to 4 events John Lloyd managed to find two new locations to fill the Barnoldswick gap as well as replace the Builth Wells summer round. That means that we will add all together 8 completely new and never before used courses to the 2009 line-up. Exciting times in particular for the regular marathons riders we think. Beside the new additions we will see the return two long standing events within the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series – the Exposure Lights Bike Night Out (sponsored by Exposure Lights) night marathon and the ‘on holiday’ round in Bad Goisern, Austria.

You can find all the details on the new rounds as well as the old face full once on the event pages.

Gore Bike Wear Road Sportive Series 2009
The Gore Bike Wear Road Sportive Series will return with three rounds in 2009.

Dates (sportive to be run on the Saturday of the event weekend):
• 4th July --- Llanwrtyd Wells
• 1st August --- Selkirk
• 19th September --- Ruthin

As in the launch years each round will have two different courses (classic with 80-100mile and standard with 40-50mile) with the Selkirk round making the exception by hosting three. Selkirk will have the classic and standard sportive but also the newly introduced ‘extreme’ sportive with a course length of 130-140miles. So with three locations to choose from and with all together 7 course on offer sportive riders off all abilities should be able to find a suitable challenge.

We are currently in the last few stages on the new sportive website which similarly to the marathon website will have all the event and location details, course distributions and course maps as well as downloadable entry forms and online entry. If you can’t wait till the new site is up and running please be aware that you can enter the sportives also through the marathon entry page.

TransWales 2009 – online entry now open
The entry to the 4th TransUK - the TransWales 2009 (15-22nd of August 2009) is open and we have already received lots of entries from all over the world. But no worry there are still lots of places available.

Our website has all the event details and entry facilities including the new online entry. The online entry makes payment from abroad a doddle as well as it allows participants to pay for the event via credit or debit cards. If you have already paid your deposit by cheque then you an still pay the remaining entry fee through the online entry (meaning via credit or debit cards). Please click here to be taken directly to the entry page on the TransWales 2009 website.