On first inspection it seems quite an odd concept to blend MTB and road racing into one weekend of events, but why not? That’s what the Schwalbe MTB Marathon and Road Sportive series does and the result, by all accounts, is a great weekend with somewhat of a ‘festival’ atmosphere and a general celebration of two wheels. We are all in it for the same reasons anyway.
The series has been taking place at various locations across the country and for the final round it moves to Ruthin in North Wales. Get the official lowdown from the organisers below and get yourself entered!
Final Round of Schwalbe MTB Marathon and Road Sportive Series Goes to Ruthin
The last round of the Schwalbe MTB-Marathon and Road Sportive powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport is less than a couple of weeks away and our team is looking forward to another great finale in one of the classic locations of the series – Ruthin in North Wales.
The weekend’s program
Following the concept of the last two rounds the Ruthin round will have the MTB-Marathon on the Saturday (31st August) followed by the Road Sportives on the Sunday (1st September) and in between we will have our live band Shambollix look after the riders with some great tunes in the event bar.
And believe it or not we also have a donkey derby taking place on Saturday right next to the marathon action. Should be interesting to watch!
MTB-Marathons
Saturday will offer 4 marathon courses to bring the season to a well deserved end.
The mountain bike route starts out heading onto the Clwydian Hills, using all the best there is to ride in the area. Incorporating fast flowing single – tracks, technical forest sections, tough climbs and breath taking descents, guaranteed to be enjoyed all the way to the finish. The course climbs up onto both Moel Arthur and Moel Famau, giving you spectacular views of the surrounding Clwydians and North Wales coast, that is if you can stop long enough to enjoy the view.
You can find everything from a beginner and family orientated MINI marathon (29km long) all the way to the full distance marathon (80km) at the Ruthin round – so every rider can find the perfect challenge for their ability. And don’t forget that you can always cut short in case you don’t feel up for it on the day.
Start time for the MTB-Marathons is 10am on Saturday (31st August) morning at the Ruthin Rugby Club. For further details on the Ruthin MTB-Marathon round please click here.
Course conditions:
Currently the course run really well and with the next few days being warm and dry we should have perfect conditions by the weekend.
Road Sportives
Following the MTB-Marathons are the Schwalbe Road Sportives. Two different sportive courses will be available – a 45mile long (1,200m climbing) standard sportive and a 90mile long (2,700m climbing) classic sportive.
Both routes head out of historic Ruthin along the pastoral Vale of Clwyd towards the coast. The climbing starts as the route goes through the centre of Denbigh past its 13th century castle. Moving up onto the moorland above the town, the route cuts back to pass Lyn Brenig, famous locally for its fishing and watersports. Next stop Cerrigydrudion where the two routes part company. The forty-five milers heading back to Ruthin through Clawdd- Newydd.
The long route carries on to Bala and its famous lake. Back to Corwen through the town centre and over the river before taking the scenic backroads towards Llangollen. Now comes the final challenge, the Horeseshoe Pass. Chris Boardman still holds the record for the ascent here. Topping the final miles take in a descent of the Nant y Garth Pass before the return to Ruthin.
Start time for the road sportives is from 8.30-9.30am on Sunday the 1st September. You can find further details on the two routes and what else is on offer on the Ruthin Sportive event page.
Entry open – make sure you get in now
Entries for all distances and disciplines are open now. You can enter either via the online entry or via the downloadable entry form. And if you up for doing two events over the weekend there is a reduced ‘weekend ticket’ available.
To enter the Road Sportives please go to the sportive entry page.
To enter the MTB-Marathons please go to the marathon entry page.
Registration opens:
Friday: 6.00pm – 9.00pm (MTB Marathon)
Saturday: 7.00am – 9.00am (MTB Marathon)
Sunday: 7.00am – 9.30am (Road Sportive)
Directions / event location
The event village, the camping and the start/finish of the sportive as well as the MTB marathon is based at the Rugby Club in Ruthin. (click here for a map of the location). The event will be signposted from Friday lunchtime onwards. It doesn’t matter where you are coming from as you will easily find your way to the event village. The event will be open from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. For the GPS users out there the postcode is LL15 2AA. If you are still looking for a B+B or a Hotel please find the details for the local Tourist Information on our Local Info page.
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