Seen there’s a off road duathlon on on Sunday. Does anyone know if much of the red route is closed off/affected?

Race course route here, if it helps

Cheers in advance.

That looks suspiciously like the world cup course with the possible exception that they appear to be oing straight past the bottom of medusas drop (just aboove where it says worry) and then they have extended the northern part of the loop out where it says staindale and tumulus.

Forestry commission map here

As you can see, the whole of the southern part is open to you. Looks like the bit round adderstone will be off limits but you could still get up to point 13 and then take the forest road round the East of the duathlon area and up to crosscliff and do the section round bickley from point 20 onwards. Failing that just cut accross from point 13 to point 25 and head back down.

Forestry usually fairly good at putting out diversion signs.

Im sure they’re still there if you look but there used to be some off pisted steep drops from the edge of Adderstone field down to the lake. So if you did that as you arrived at Dixons Hollow and then ride the fire-road away from the car park at High Staindale then you’ll pick up the red again.

Or, once you get to Dixons Hollow, just jump onto the forest drive towards the mast at Red Dike on the map above. As the forest drive turns 90 degrees to the left, go straight on and you’ll pick up the red again just before the swoopy bit with the bombholes.

Or, as the forest drive turns left, you turn right and head down to the next T junction, turn left and then right and you’ll pick up the trail again as it crosses the fire-road somewhere near the old quarry.

Cheers guys – will look at that and decide.

Do you know of any local ‘natural’ routes we should consider instead?

I’m doin the race, give me a cheer as you pass by 😀
(old git on a red and white Cube)

did the event last year. the course is in the same area as the world cup course but quite different to it. it uses bits of the red but not much really. not sure how much of the red route will be closed but i take an educated guess about 10% maybe.

I think the only bits of red are the section where you cross the road after passing bike park as far as worry gill, then the short bit of fire road at bottom of Medusa to where you turn off towards little umpty back bridge.
Then we get the pleasure of that long steep climb on the black route and work our way back to start next lap.

What’s the run route like keavo?

the run starts at one end of adderstone field, goes slightly downhill on grass to the other end then around the edge of the field for a bit. it turns off onto part of the bike trails (world cup course) up and down a bit. crosses over a fire road and the goes down a hill, heading towards worry gill. this is fairly steep and rocky/muddy (i have ridden down this bit but not sure if its on any waymarked trail) it then climbs back up a narrow steep section, cross over a fire road near the top. then back onto the bike trails, still uphill and back onto the edge of adderstone field and back to the start/finish. the downhill/uphill although short, wouldn’t look out of place in a proper fell run and most people i saw were reduced to walking the uphill. its 1 lap for the first run, 3 for the second run.
it is a long and tough race by any standards, i jogged the first run went hard on the bike and just gritted my teeth and survived the second run.
i’ll probably be there too, on an on-one carbon 29er.

Cheers mate, I was sorta hoping the course would be pretty severe. I used to be a fell runner so used to tough terrain and the steep uphills should slow the ‘faster’ runners down a bit. I’m strong enough to walk up hills quicker than I could run em but can’t run very fast (flat) these days after hardly doing any running for a few years.
My strategy is similar to yours, though you are probably better than me on techy bits, my strength is being able to get up the hills ok.
Hope you have a good un and we both survive!

its a mountain bikers course, the running is proportionally much shorter. there is quite a bit of flatish terrain on the run and the bike. if you ride a lot, can still run a bit and like a hard effort you’ll enjoy this event.
i’ve just put my entry in, i’ll be happy with a similar result to last year but don’t think i’m in quite as good condition.