Nearly 1300 riders took part in the final round of the Chain Reaction Cycle MTB Marathon Series in Ruthin, Wales.

The weekend double header kicked off with the second Exposure Lights Big Night Out, more than 100 riders taking on the 42km long course – with 1,350m of climbing – armed with ‘bar and helmet lighting.

The first rider home blasted round in one hour, 56 minutes while the last cyclist cruised home in four hours, 24 minutes.  

And, with no rest for the wicked, many of the night marathon riders dusted themselves off to join more than 1100 others for the final MTB marathon of the 2010 series.

Wet weather and thick mud made conditions tricky – proper mountain biking – but, with four course on offer, the first rider to cross the line on the 30km mini marathon took just one hour, 17 minutes.

And the final rider wheeled home more than seven hours later after completing the epic 92km full marathon, which took in no less than 2500m of climbing.