Scott MTB Marathon series- Church Stretton

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BY: Joe Barker

Published: 7th July, 2015

I was really excited for this weekends Scott MTB Marathon series. The chilled vibe of the weekend, followed by a 75 km course, packed with stunning downhills and testing climbs. The Saturday night consisted of me getting my bike all prepared (I was riding my dad's Scott Scale 930) and a competitive Scalextrics race in the Fibrax tent! Then a decent night sleep ready to ride.

The Marathon started. Feeling fresh in my brand new Southfork kit I was eager to get away, wary that I was doing the longer distance than I was used to. The first climb was quite fast but I soon settled in to a rhythm and by the top felt I was feeling happy with my pace. Then the first descent came... wow. It was extra flowy and slightly slippery due to how dry it had been, which made it even better. A couple of rocky sections to roll over and a little river crossing at the bottom made the climb up totally worth it.

The sun was in full power by the time I got to the first feed station and I made sure I ate and drank lots for the long ride ahead. More good stuff followed with nice steady climbs and great descents up until the 40 km mark and then we were off to Eastridge....I heard lots of positive comments about it from last year and that was one of the factors that made me want to do it this year. They were not wrong! Steep, flowy burms and great rooty sections which kept you on your toes. It was fast, super dry and just great fun. However, my mood soon changed.

As I was riding on the road out of Estridge the heavens opened and they didn't just open, soaked through I persevered on the road joined by three others. Saturated I looked forward to the final climb up to the top for one last descent which I knew would be epic...by this time the trails were muddy, which I enjoyed as we haven't had it like that in a while! I had forgotten how much fun it was sliding round grass corners and feeling on the edge. The bike handled it perfectly with the slightly bigger wheel size. The last descent was still fast but just a bit slippery. That took us down to Church Stretton, I crossed the line with a massive smile on my face with a decent time considering a puncture and moreover a fantastic course. Thank you to my sponsors Southfork and my dad for the photos. 

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More on the Scott MTB-Marathon Series 2015 Round 3:

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