Michael from Merida writes…
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 http://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 http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/builth_wells_spring.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 (http://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.
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!
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At least it was dry this year – last years sodden affair left me ill for over a week with campilobacter – apparantly from eating soaking wet sheep poo.
I won’t be ordering that from the bar again!