Or is it actually more chilled with people who fancy pushing themselves but with out spending the whole day shouting “rider left..”.. 😆

It’s a slightly different course. They take some of the harder features out compared to sat.

Thought it was the as course, they changed a bit this year but that was due to many crashes rather than it bring the sport. It’s a mix of chilled people and weekend warriors who didn’t get into the Saturday.

Same course as Saturday but with 6 hours to complete as apposed to 5, id like to say more laid back but after last year i doubt it. I guess as last year people got into the sport that wanted the main event and visa versa, causing some more gnarrr orientated riders to have to settle with the sunday event

There’s definitely some folk who take it far too seriously, but as a away of getting to ride the whole course without worrying too much about getting in peoples way etc it’s great

I’d also say it’s got quite a few people who are in a bit too deep. It’s not to be treated as an easy option, still has plenty of gnarr in it and not to be underestimated.

I did it last year… same course exactly but much more relaxed. Sure there were some proper quick lads on it, but I minced my way around and had a great day.

Does the marathon have anything interesting in it, or is it just a 40 mile XC bimble?

I’d also say it’s got quite a few people who are in a bit too deep.

As has the saturday.

I did it this year with a couple of fast lads. Opted to set off with the very first wave. Glad we did as the first 3 stages got some good clean runs. Once you’re mixed up with people doing the sprint there are people walking and going very slowly. (No judgement intended)

As a way of riding the course it’s perfect, set off early and expect a few slow people later on because it’s the Sunday. Unless you’re going to win it doesn’t really matter.

What DOES matter is missing out on the party Saturday night because you’ve got to be riding at 7:30. For that reason I won’t be riding the Sunday again.

Ok cool, sounds like I’m aiming right then….I really fancy riding the course and am fairly sure I’ll be alright……. apart from Hecklers wood that’s blatantly going to result in using my face as a brake… 😯 but don’t want to get in the way if those who are trying to shave half a second off you know!!

Well it’s in the lap of the broadband connection tomorrow morning anyway I suppose!!!

You can set off on the section when you like, so if you give enough of a gap you shouldn’t / wont catch anyone. I did it and wasn’t held up by anyone.

(mmm, thinking about it, perhaps I’m actually quite slow)

No, seriously its fine. Just don’t do the section seconds after the bloke in front sets off.

What DOES matter is missing out on the party Saturday night because you’ve got to be riding at 7:30. For that reason I won’t be riding the Sunday again.

I’ve always found it strange that the events aren’t switched. Surely it would make more sense to have the easy going / fun event on the Saturday and the serious one on Sunday. To be fair though, I do find it peculiar that almost all enduros seem to take place on Sundays, usually meaning that by the time the podiums take place everyone has already gone home!

Hopefully doing it again with a few mates, looking forward to pub stop half way round. Bumbling around was quite fun but be aware there are quite a few long draggy road climbs, I wasn’t expecting that.

Same thoughts as Lucky… first year I did it I took part in the 35k 3 stage loop and it was on the Saturday, probably the one I’ve enjoyed most.

I did the sport this year. Fantastic, its the same course as the full fat race on the Saturday. Still plenty of serious riders who didn’t get in for the Saturday race though, everybody’s racing somebody. But its for fun, so I wouldn’t worry about getting in peoples way. The problem with the sport category is you cant ride the course on the Friday practice. You can if you do the sprint race (only 3 stages) though. This has got me thinking about entering the sprint and intro (3 stages) instead. Then we get to ride Friday Saturday and Sunday. The only thing Im not sure of is, is the sprint and into on the same course? Did anybody do these two this year? I’ve emailed ArdRock about it but yet to get a reply.

I did the Sprint this year and it was the same first three stages as the full course.

Not sure which stages the Into uses though.

I was on the sport last year and it did feel like an unhappy mix of people who missed the race and other riders looking for a chilled no pressure ride which is what I was in it for until my brakes broke. There were plenty of places pinched up with crowds waiting turns on bits that someone had stalled at on the couple of stages I did pre-mechanical. It was the same course at the time and had been the years previously although in all previous years I’ve ridden the main event, it’s timing that’s different- the sport times the loop time (although you still get stage time breakdown on the chit) while the Enduro is all about the time on Stage.

TBH, the event has got so big and entries so hotly contested that it probably would be better for the big race to have a unique course just to stop this situation although obviously that’s going to add pain and expense for the organisers.

I didn’t enter this years and hadn’t planned to go in 2018 either, not particularly because of the experience last year, but more that I preferred the laid back vibe it had in the beginning.

Does the marathon have anything interesting in it, or is it just a 40 mile XC bimble?

I’m also interested in this!

By interesting I mean stuff that is normally off-limits to riders.

I enjoyed the Sat race in 2016 and intend to leave it at that, it was sunny and truly amazing.

Some of my steadier mates who did Sun last year were barged out of the way by ****’s.

Having watched the racing on Sun the last two years the difference in abilities is absolutely huge but for all I know Sat is the same.

@martinhutch @snotrag

If the marathon uses the same course as 2 years ago it is stuff ridden all the time e.g. https://www.strava.com/activities/401337621

Looks all BW except for some cheeky that is regularly ridden (accommodating landowner/gamekeeper).

Cheers for that – pretty much rode that earlier this year. Not worth 50 quid to me unless there is a lot of interesting stuff that’s normally out of bounds.