Can’t see a merida post on here about yesterday.

I got round the 70k in just under 4 hrs. Those sheep tracks were amazing, had a really good patch there, followed shortly after by some serious cramp. The extra loop at the end was a killer too, but super sweet cliff top single track and the final descent made it worth it. Did anyone else find that dropoff on the cliff top path?

Top weather, dusty trails, and an excellent route. That drop off was class too! 🙂

I saw that drop off about 0.25s before hitting it! Must have taken out a few of the night riders as well.

Yeh excellent day did the 70k in 3.30 odd.

enjoyed the night ride loads, pushed a bit too hard at times even though i knew i was riding next morning

did the 50 on the sunday as he legs were tired from enjoying the trails too much the night before

top weather too

quality day out….I sure those sheep trails were just contour lines on the OS map they were that narrow ! nice off camber stuff there.Anyone spot the sheep carcass ? I think it was planted for effect !
In places I actually heard the sound of my tyres buzzing – something I have not heard for a very long time.Been out twice today on the bike aswell – the feeling in my nads is just about coming back !

Everyone wearing their nice red t shirts then ?

Oh yeah had forgotten about her – go left to avoid the dead sheep!

3.5hrs / 4 hrs for the 70k! well done – would that put you near the front?

I thought the course, weather and hence the day was great (crashing on a tame part of the trail in front of the quad bike marshal was a particular highlight!).

Using the showground and its facilities for start / finish / parking etc is the way forward – though i dont like the t-shirt as much as previous years.

probably the best merida I’ve done since the first selkirk one a few years ago, all down to good weather and a great course.
Really enjoyed the night ride, think I did about 2:17 and was pretty much on the red line all the way round, suffered a bit towards the end of the 70km but managed to outsprint a couple of guys at the end (like it matters…) to finish in about 3:27.

bit worried about the standard of secondary evidence after following a loughborough student into the showground on the night ride who couldn’t follow signs 🙂

Think at 4hrs I was about 81st from 400ish riders. 3.5hr would be top 50ish. Top people were all under 3hrs.

I quite like the competitive element of the meridas, it’s not xc race “coughing up your lungs” pace but is still definitely a race if you want, as well as a personal challenge and a great day out in the hills.

The loughbrough student was a local as well, he helped with setting the course up last year i think, he did get a grilling for it though!!!

ELBNO pics online now. Merida pics sometime tomorrow.

what website are the pics on? could’nt find them on the Merida site?

Had a great run out on Sunday and was pleased with my 4.5hrs until I read the posts above, how the hell do you guys get round in under 4? Had a good start and passed people pretty consistently for the first two thirds, the last section was slow though, my legs were on the verge of cramping on each of the hills and I was just plodding with a group.

Great course and weather.

Does anyone know the grouping of start numbers for the 25, 50 and 70k routes (I forgot to look closely at the sign-on sheets). Would like to know roughly where I was in the grand scheme of things and from the results they publish think this would be the only way.

Right, 100k next time out.

rightplacerighttime.co.uk

Merida pics now live too.

Some cracking times guys! I didn’t ride this (planning on the July one) but based on your average speeds it makes my HONC time feel a little pedestrian… :'(

(I’d have done 4 hrs 15 ish but the HONC was mostly roads!) I’ll kid myself it was navigating that slowed me down…

Austen, the 1000’s were the 70km and the 2000’s were the 50km.

However that spreadsheet can tell you your exact result as lots of people who started the 70k on a 1??? board only finished the 50km. This is noted on the day by the marshalls but not reflected in the results published online.

On the day you can see your result printed up and posted to the back of the high5 finish tent.