If you’ve made it this far through the packed summer season then it means that the end is near. But it’s not here yet – which means that there’s still the rigours and rewards of Ruthin to be enjoyed. In a new-for-2011 twist, the final MTB Marathon round of the series will see a double-header of an extra Exposure Lights Big Night Out (ELBNO) on the Saturday evening, chased closely by the final marathon of the Chain Reaction Cycles series on the Sunday – and you can be sure that both will make maximum use of the mighty Clwydian hills.
So let’s start with the bad news: whatever ride you do you can be sure that there’s a rather large climb in between you and getting onto the tops of the Clwydians. So pace yourself, click into a low gear, take it steady and winch your way upwards. But once there, you’ll be free to enjoy the myriad delights of the rather significant chunk of hill that each of Ruthin’s courses will take in – whether you tackle the ELBNO, the 27km mini marathon, 50km half marathon, the 70km mid marathon or the full 85km marathon distance. So, given that fore-warning, you’ll probably want to know more about your enemy. So here goes…
The Clwydians are a 35km long chain of hills running from Prestatyn to Llandegla, rising to 554 metres above sea level at their highest point. Comprised of a surprisingly varied landscape, they boast open heather moorland on their higher ridges, contrasting markedly to the patchwork of small hedged fields and coppices of the lower slopes. In places, limestone rock split through the turf into the daylight framed in attractive wooded escarpments and river valleys, making the flavour of the Clwydians truly diverse and a fitting venue for the final round of the year. With oodles of curvaceously gorgeous singletrack lacing the length and breadth of the hills – and a fair collection of steep, fast and pumpy descents to get genuine ‘devil may care’ speed thrills – the Clwydian’s are benevolent hosts to literally hundreds of kilometres of trails.
Having an ELBNO range across the hills will put a luminescent sheen on the Clwydian’s trails that the MTB Marathon series has yet to have the pleasure of. But don’t worry if you find your lights are only half-charged before the start as Exposure Lights will be in attendance with their charging station. But if you haven’t any lights and are tempted to give it a bash then Chain Reaction Cycles will be offering Exposure Lights for sale, too.
The Sunday courses will use some of the ELBNO course, but – given that the experience of riding and night is so vastly different to that at night – it will feel very different. But note the ‘some’ and not ‘all’ back there. The MTB Marathon Series’ experts on the ground – the Llanferres Playing Field & Recreation Association (LPFRA) – will ensure that the overall riding experience is nothing short of incredible, and will blend in both old and new sections of trail, fine-polishing some in the process, and will ensure that the course is top-notch. Expect big climbs of course, but also expect some enormous downhills, epic hill-top views across North Wales, challenging and technical singletracks, and adrenaline aplenty. And last but not least, expect pinging rotors as your discs cool following the final fast and furious descent off the top to claim your hard-earned climbing credits in full.
To find out more about the upcoming round in Ruthin round (17-18th September 2011) please go to the event Ruthin pages on the series website or if you haven’t entered yet go directly to the entry page to secure your entry.
Enter now and save yourself some money
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. Here you can choose between or the good old paper download entry.
We will have day entries available but there is a £5 surcharge if you enter on site on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday of the event weekend. So better enter now and save yourself some money. If are interested in riding both events than you can save even more by booking the ‘weekend pass’ which gives you the ELBNO night marathon and the day marathon for a reduced price of £ 47.
Time Table for the weekend
Registration – Saturday from 12pm (noon) – 8pm
Start ELBNO – Saturday approx. 7.30pm
Registration – Sunday from 7 – 9am
Start – Sunday 10am