We’ve just received an email from the Pennine Mountain Bike Association, who have got some very exciting news indeed. After running a highly successful 2016 Enduro series, PMBA are stepping things up for 2017 by announcing their first ever British National Enduro Championships! Scheduled for the last weekend of April, the National Series is set to be held within the Grizedale Forest, and from the sounds of things, it’s going to be a pretty epic weekend of racing.
Check out the full press release below, along with details on how to secure your entry into one of the biggest enduro events of 2016!
Press Release: Datatag UK National Enduro Championships
We kept being asked to do something bigger, and here it is; a National Championships! We negotiated race use of the private woodlands of the Graythwaite Estate last year, building five fresh cut stages for the Northern Champs and it was brilliant. An awesome setting and demanding stages, this will be the base for the Datatag UK National Enduro Championships.
Held over 3 days the epic course does not just use the Graythwaite estate but also delves deep into Grizedale Forest and takes in both Lake Windermere and Coniston Water. With new stages at Grizedale being progressed with the Forestry commission, we’ll be able to keep it fresh. Plus, with almost free reign on what we can do at Graythwaite, there is no doubt this will be an awesome course at an unmissable event.
Early in the season to fit in with the European EWS events, this race will also be a qualifier event for the 2018 EWS season. Format of the event has taken inspiration from a number of EWS events. Friday will see the Grizedale stages open for practice, while Saturday will be for practicing the closer Graythwaite stages. Sunday is race day, with a course of around 55km and up to 10 stages to crown our champions.
Whomever claims the titles on offer here will surely deserve them. No need to worry about work on the Monday, as it’s a bank holiday so you can enjoy our £2/pint ale on Sunday after the race, cheer the winners on the podium and whatever else we think we can squeeze in to the evening’s celebrations. Toilets, bike wash, showers, tech support, as well as catering and an expo of your favourite brands will be onsite.
Championship Categories
- Men – U19, Senior, Master, Veteran & Grand Veteran
- Women – U21, Senior(19+), Master & Veteran
Shorter course Non-Championship Categories will also be available, and you’ll even be able to swap between them until nearer the event if you change your preference. Male U21 results will be compiled for EMBA for EWS qualification status, this will be a virtual category only.
Entry into the PMBA Enduro National Championships will set you back £75 for the weekend, which includes parking and camping for the duration of the event. If you’re keen to sign up, make sure you pencil Monday the 28th of November into your calendar, as that’s when the first half the available entries become available at Midday.
Keep an eye on www.pmba.org.uk/enduro for more event information, and you can follow PMBA on social media @pmba_enduro for Twitter and Instagram, and the PMBA Enduro Series Facebook page.
In the meantime, you can get an idea of what to expect of the Grizedale enduro course by checking out the below video from the 2016 PMBA Enduro Series. Looks like heaps of fun!
