CRC 'MTB Marathon Series' – any views?

Seen a flyer for this series today, looks alright. I know its cheaper to just ride yourself without paying but i doubt i'd map myself out 100k and not have to stop many times after going wrong way etc…
Have any of you on here done these in the past? how were they?
2 in builth wells, 1 grassington…
cheers 🙂

You get camping, some food, a tea shirt and a mapped out course. Sometimes the course is good – Builth Exposure weekend last year was good – sometimes they're not very good and end up going thru boggy bits or muddy forests. not much back up if things go wrong so think of it more as a normal ride with some food stops/mechanic – though if something goes wrong you make you're own way back which can be a long walk.

I did the Ruthin event last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well organised, the route was interesting and well signed and the atmosphere on the camp site (at Ruthin Rugby Club) was pretty good.

Rode the route with a group of people who I'd never met before. The pace was gentle enough that we had time to chat and it's always good to meet new people who share the same interests.

Will definitely do one again this year.

Personally I think they're great. Atmosphere is fantastic. Well organised, value for money…top stuff.

cheers, thanks for info!

I'd recommend them, plus the Rough Ride.

I've signed up for the Grassington one.
My mate who is just finishing of her radiotherapy for breast cancer saw it and, having just bought a new Kona Kula, decided we were all going to do it with her!
So far she and my g/f have signed up for the 25K, i'm signed up for the 50K with another group of mates but i may decide on the weekend to do the 75K instead. Looking forward to having a fun weekend on the bikes with my mates.

I've done a few of the Welsh rounds in the past – always had a good ride, good atmosphere and entertaining whatever the weather 🙂

Are they actually races, or just off-road sportives?

Don't even know what a sportive is!

They're timed off-road sportives. Although some people (not me, I hasten to add) seem to see them as races.

I'm the world's worst navigator and I haven't managed to get lost on one yet, mostly because there's hundreds of people to follow but they're also well sign-posted. The feed stops are half decent and the courses I did I thought were very good, crappy in some places but that was mostly thanks to the weather.

Done them for the last few years (with Merida as sponsor), as above they are fun but in my opinion the Ruthin one is best. Intend to have a pop at the Grassington one though.

They are timed, but the results aren't provided in time order, so you can't actually tell what 'position' you came in.

They became a bit of a victim of their own success a few years ago, so many people that they were just loads of fireroad. By all accounts they've got better again!

what they ^^^^ said.

Top event, well organised, Great course, Fun weekend out.

Done most of these event over the last couple of years, and cycles round with Rebecca Romero for most of the scotland one. good times 🙂