Apart from the 3 peaks, are there any cx marathons/long distance races in the UK.

Also interested in long distance off road duathlons. Anyone know of any good ones?

http://www.rapha.cc/hell-of-the-north-1

cheers, looks good

Tour of the Cornfields (Hertfordshire). A great blast on the cx bike. You've missed it this year. Was last Sunday. 60 miles.

they do one near woodbridge in suffolk every year. was in cycling weekly this year. 40 miles i seem to remember all on gravel lanes.(sorry for lack of detail)

The rapha ride wasn't a cx ride, more of a dirty road ride, although a cx bike with 24mm Paves was fine. Just do something like SDW on your cx.

Salisbury Plain Challenge is all doable on a CX. Usually on the first weekend in January. Usually thoroughly grim. 😉

Tour of the Cornfields is a classic CX, it's almost a race even though officially it's a sportive. Front end of it can be belting along at 25mph!

Check out the Hilly Billy Roubaix in America.. UK needs a few big gravel road/farm track events..

I did the HONC on my CX this year, I don't think I'll bother again, I found it rather unpleasant, back to the MTB next time. 🙄

Hell of the North Cotswolds is great – same weekend as the real hell of the north.

Is the Rapha one do-able on a road bike? Or are the "gravé" sections a little too extreme.

Iain

It was well do-able, in fact nearly everyone was on a road bike.
However we were blessed with very good weather, if it had been mucky it would have been another story.
I used a crosser with tough road tyres.
And that might have been a one off.

hmmm did a running marathon today but that rapha ride looks pretty fun

I did the HONC on my CX this year, I don't think I'll bother again, I found it rather unpleasant, back to the MTB next time.

It all depends on what the weather's been like. This year wasn't a good year for a crossers, with the bumpy fields baked hard – with damper, softer ground it makes more sense. I was glad I was riding a full-sus this year (though would have been on that even had it been wet and soft, due to a wrist injury).

Salisbury Plain Challenge is all doable on a CX. Usually on the first weekend in January. Usually thoroughly grim.

is crap mainly on roads and in no way in the same breathe as the 3 peaks .What planet are you om you light weight roadie?

Scotton 100…

All on/ off road around villages North of York..

Normally mid April..

Have a look at Clifton CC Website..

the htn winter sprinter was good (only 2 hours tho).The first 2 crc marathons in Builth were ideal on the cx bike-even more so if it had rained.Once I sort out a cx bike with discs and clearance for slightly bigger tyres it will be my first chiice for most races.Some nutter was on a cx at the dyfi-and was in the top 50!

I did this on a cx, this summer
http://www.bhf.org.uk/events_and_volunteering/events/event_finder/view_event.aspx?ps=1000650

could swim the channel if you want a duathlon 😯

Quite a few guys where I work did the Rob Roy Challenge this year, they ran the walk bit. The first 25 miles(ish) of the cycle is gravel tracks though they did it on road bikes (and got punctures).

I may do it next year on the cross bike, not sure about the running part though

Human Race do a series of offroad duathlons in the South East.

Although not really 'long distance' and I'm not sure they accept Cyclocross bikes either.

So probably not what your after at all 😆

Anyways I did the Wildman (12k Run, 20k MTB, 6km run) last year which was tough good fun and very sandy.\
See their website for the rest of the series.

Is it me or do Duathlons attract strange half breed folk (myself included)?

Third the HONC, the BHF London to South Coast ride is also great fun on a CX bike.

oh yeah, London to South coast i.e. Brighton (off road) is on 25th september. 75 miles and perfect for CX.

Off-road duathlon cough splutter 45 quid entry fee. I don't think so. Or you could *just* pay 22 quid for the 6 mile run.

£45 is steep I must admit and the offroad wasn't that inspiring.
Although I don't know anyone else doing something similar…

Is it me or do Duathlons attract strange half breed folk (myself included)?

Yes they do, triathletes that can't swim! I'll be signing up for a couple of their off road ones and the ballbuster.

Iain

HONC is much more interesting on a cross bike and all the road sections fly by as well.

Winter Hit the North will be on again in February. it's 'only' 2 hours but that's considered a marathon duration for most cyclocross folk.