It's only a few days before the third Merida 100 Marathon kicks off on the weekend of the 2/3 July. We'll be back in Builth Wells, the birthplace of the 100 series. For everybody who made it to the Spring Marathon, the summer marathon course is in a different location - it's on the other side of Builth in the same area as 2004 so you can expect another fantastic ride. John Lloyd has been out finding new bits of track to add to the excitement of the course: "I've found lots of extra singletrack to make the course even more fun and weather resistant. I've managed to get the 50, 75 and the 100km routes equally exciting. So there should be something for everyone." Good news we reckon.
We're still taking entries for the Builth event, but with it being the flagship of the 100 series they're filling up quickly. If you haven't entered yet just send a SAE for an entry form to The Merida 100 MTB Marathon Enduro Series, Attn: John Lloyd, Builth Wells Cycles, Weston House, West Street, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3AH or go to www.mtb-marathon.co.uk www.mtb-marathon.co.uk and enter via the entry page.
The Builth event will be based again at White House Farm in Builth and we'll have a Pedro's Spin sorted for the Saturday. So if you fancy a 1-1.5 hour warm-up ride on some nice technical trails around Builth, then be at the registration ready to ride for 2pm on Saturday. It'd be great if you could drop us a quick email if you want to take part so that we can make sure that we have enough guides in place in case the group gets too big. And if you sign on in advance we'll also have a little something from Pedro's waiting for you.
For the first time we will have Hayes brakes on site and on hand during the event offering free tech support to all riders using Hayes. They'll also have the full range of Hayes brakes on display, including the new and much anticipated El Camino XC.
After weeks of waiting for the limited edition MTB-Marathon jersey (produced by our apparel partner Sugoi) they have now arrived at MTB-Marathon HQ. Quite a few jerseys have been pre-ordered but we still have some available. You can order them via email, ring John at Builth Wells Cycles on 01982 552923 or pick one up at the next event. Keep in mind that only 100 of these tops have been produced and that they are going fast.
The weekend after the Builth Wells event the Merida 100 goes over to mainland Europe to enjoy the "Merida 100 on holiday" in Austria. So far 35 riders from the UK are going over to experience the superb Marathon around Bad Goisern. The course has had a fair few changes and is in tip-top condition. There are still places available and we also spotted quite a few cheap flights from London Stansted to Salzburg on Ryanair which are still up for grabs. So if you can find the time and would like to experience the superb riding around Bad Goisern, the breathtaking countryside or simply want to have a few days away from it all make sure you don't miss out on it. And don't forget that we have a great package deal going on. More details at www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/bad_goisern.php.
