Hope MTB Marathon @ Ruthin - rider numbers in decline?

Similar to many on here, I didn't know they were still a thing.

Over the years I have ridden many of the Merida events then it was Scott, CRC and then Hope.  I used to enjoy them, not a bad price with t shirt, pasta and well organised but not heard much of them for a number of years.  Last one I rode was in April '18, first one in 2008 I think, possibly The Lakes and I am sure it was a tough 100k (unless my story has got embellished over the years)

Share the GPX file then 🙂

Just kidding. I fancied this but also wanted to do the Velo29 Sportive in Yorkshire (same day). Used to do all of the marathon events from about 2003-2008. Hopefully be at the Ruthin one.

Resurrecting this thread to say thanks to @p.rowland . A friend and I rode the Minehead event on Sunday and had a great time. Great route, very well organised. Nice to get a t-shirt at the end end too!

We had entered the full distance but missed the cut off by 30 seconds which I was actually very grateful for. Will be back fitter for next years event, may try to get to Ruthin later in the year.

Old knackered xc racer here, if I can use my ebike I’ll be at Ruthin. Done these from the Schwinn 100 days.
Great day out and often riding trails that are only accessible on the event day. 🙂

I was also at Minehead (the only singlespeeder I think...) and certainly concur with the above. The route was very well signed, and the logistics at the rugby club were great (loved not having to think about dinner/breakfast given I was camping). The course was brutal, it felt that if I wasn't climbing up some double digit % grade hacking my lungs up, I was flying down rock-strewn tracks trying to hold on but avoid arm pump, with nothing inbetween! A great exposure to North Devon riding.

Singlespeed! Seriously well done. And yes, it felt like there was no flat or even slight incline on the whole course 😀

I walked quite a lot of it - definitely overgeared! Got into the front group off the start so did the first big climb without having to stop, then dropped back and rode the rest at my own pace after the group thinned out. Ended up finishing the full marathon inside the top half.

It is a pretty relentless course - that final climb up through the woods felt like it went on forever! That descent off the top after it though was an absolute gem.

“ That descent off the top after it though was an absolute gem.”

The up side of pretty much being the lantern rouge on the 65km was that I had that descent all to myself.

i had fun but it was savage. Glad we stopped over on Sunday night.

There does seem to be a lack of focal point (forum, magazine, website, etc) for XC and marathon style event organisation. Can't recall how we used to know about them all back in the day, but like many others I had no idea the Merida events still existed...

It used to be the mags as I remember.
but maybe one of the issues in spreading the word now is social media bubbles? Where you are only telling your followers your events are on.

could STW step in with a events page? Free listings for charity events? A Fee/cross promotion for commercial events?

https://mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/ruthin-hope-mtb-marathon/?fbclid=IwY2xjawE4BzBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUcTvbfnyRyeNhhQ-inW_QMOrPnmFZnmD2qGYVbmFEaPSbOk7nd8orNqAw_aem_ROSGSn84l9vINL3wF4wDlA

2024 Ruthin marathon is in 3 weeks! 15th September. Entry link above, site isn't great but it works and I'm booked on 😀

Shame this event is now cancelled

Not the announcement we wanted to be making…
We would like to thank everyone for their support but unfortunately we don’t have enough entries to cover our costs. We were hoping that the good weather over the last couple of days might encourage a few last minute entries this week but it still hasn’t been enough. So, for 2024 we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Exposure lights Big Night Out and the Hope MTB Marathon in Ruthin.
Please contact us for refunds and any questions by email: info@mtb-marathon.co.uk
And a massive thanks goes to all of those who have supported us over the years; Sponsors, staff and of course, our riders.

Thanks for your understanding, we will hopefully see you again next year,

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No new 2025 events on http://mtb-marathon.co.uk/, no new post on their instagram, ...
I assume not running this year 🙁 Ok the organisers had a tough year and it's a thankless task. Hopefully they'll be back.

Oakies, let's enter the national marathon champs. Oh, MayerActive's event page has disappeared and the BC cycling page is blank 🙁

UK long XC race scene died?

Yep real shame the mtb-marathons seem to have stopped. I'm still hoping they'll pop up out of the blue again.

I don't think the long xc scene has died tho, there's a brilliant series called Mills n Moors that runs a bit like Audax's do for roadies (gpx, no mass start) and that's been full every time I've done it. I'd love to find more similar events 

The Mills n Moors events are bookable on sientries 

Came across this by accident and its a depressing read.. did all the above events and not sure if just the fickle biking scene or it was covid and the sudden increase to insurance and put on events as plenty of the mentioned events did pull back their investment from commentary, village chill out areas, stalls, etc etc.. Had friends with families attend the events and they stopped camping, kids got older and stopped coming and soon they stopped entering too.. Minehead last year was our last and noticeably the lack of families and kids for the kids to make friends and Hope no longer doing the kids courses which were massive in their days! Live in Surrey and would happily travel to these events as the locations are stunning but 90% of mtb I see out are all e-bikes and def no focus for old school normal xc riding 🙁 the glory days of mayhem, bonty (24/12) sleepless in the saddle etc is a distant memory it feels.. I still would do them if on offer and my fitness is not what it used to be but no excuse.. Malverns classic as usual but we treat this 1 like a festival but its an expensive weekend and the racing is poor in comparison (especially xc) like an after thought on trails made days before... Please bring back the Mtb-marathons!!!

There is a strong XC scene down in the South West, mostly at Newnham Park in Plymouth. 

There are a number of races, I think the marathon has already happened. 

https://www.swxcseries.co.uk/  

There is also a 24 hour race happening again: 

https://southwestmountainbiking.eventrac.co.uk/e/3six12-24-hour-xc-race-12159#:~:text=The%203six12%20is%20back%20for,will%20be%20a%20welcomed%20addition.

I haven't entered these, but they all get a good turn out. 

Great shout.. I'm def going to look into this 1 more.. sods law we fly on family holiday that weekend.. noooo..

I race at Newnham quite a lot as it's my local venue. The 'marathon' was only 3 hours but was a great fun race and a good early season kick off. I didn't race there last weekend as shorter races don't suit me, but I'm booked in for the 24hr in the summer as I did the 12hr last year and the itch needs scratching!

Many many endurance events are seeing significantly reduced numbers. Triathlons definitely down considerably vs pre-covid.

People got out of the habit, costs went up, etc. That break made people re-assess the value.

Outlaw (iron distance tri) in Notts used to sell out. Now at something like 60% full ( about 700 entries last year vs sold our 1200+ in the mid 2010s.).  Their hald distance would sell out in 1-2 minutes- one year (about 2016) less than 1 minute.  Now... plenty of places still available 4 weeks out. Independent races I'd entered in the Scottish Highlands cancelled due to lack of numbers - for businesses already strapped for cash after covid. 

I'd been multiple times to Mayhem, and more still to Sleepless, + 24/12 the first 2 years.  A combination of factors resulted in us deciding to sack it off and go out to the Alps to bike instead. 

I know the hope events have stopped, but noticed this event (clywydian MTB challenge): https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=15433&fbclid=IwY2xjawK3qntleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuB2y7O9vCuqpK1tonU_tUd63cfI8f8KSfq5mF3BbSGbepSDjY9-DcF37yJC_aem_YjwbfvrhIBVxGtLCXiSd-g

Not done it before but may be of interest