Organiser Human Race has announced the return of the popular Merrell MTB Duathlon series, sponsored by the eponymous footwear company and offering three events during 2009.

First up is the Merrell ICEMan on Saturday 21 February. The venue is at Frimley, near Farnborough in Surrey, with a 10km trail run, 15km MTB section and a final 5km run. The course is described as “tough, hilly and challenging”, and we know from experience that swapping from feet to wheels and back again is guaranteed to hurt.

As an added attraction to the opening round, Merrell-sponsored kayak racer and Olympic gold medallist Tim Brabants will be racing – he’s said to be pretty handy on a bike, too, so there’s a gauntlet thrown. Prizes are from Merrell and there’ll be an event T-shirt and goodie bag for all competitors. You can enter online at www.humanrace.com, although if you’re a newcomer to this multisport lark be warned – the entry fees look a bit chewy if you’re used to £15-20 for a local MTB race…

Later in the year is the Merrell MudMan (Saturday 7 March) at the Army training grounds in Camberley. This one has a slightly different format – 7.5km run, 15km bike, 7.5km run. The same venue will host the Merrell Winter MudMan on Saturday 21 November.

Full details at www.humanrace.co.uk.