Save The Date | Mud & Sweat Night Series, South England

22.07.2015
by

If you didn’t think riding is hard enough in dry and dusty conditions, then this may be for you. On the 28th November, the Mud & Sweat Series kicks off in the Haldon Forest Park near Exeter in the south of England and is specifically aimed at the night loving vampires among us. Check out their press-release below, it sounds crazy!

Participants who enter both Night Events (Haldon and Saltram), will be eligible for the King or Queen of The Night Prize for entering the series – both times for each event will be combined, with prizes available for the fastest. There are also discounts available if you enter both events.

On the 28th November Haldon Forest near Exeter will host the Mud & Sweat night ride
On the 28th November Haldon Forest near Exeter will host the Mud & Sweat night ride
Riders will be obligated to have their own lights and safety equipment...well, because it's pretty dangerous racing against people when you can't see where you're going
Riders will be obligated to have their own lights and safety equipment…well, because it’s pretty dangerous racing against people when you can’t see where you’re going

Both events will be unique night cross-country races. You will follow a set marked route within the area, all under the cover of darkness, and will do a number of laps, dependent on whether you enter the Long or Short course (estimated distances – 20km and 10km). The Haldon route has been designed to test your riding skill, whilst the Saltram route has been designed to test your speed!

This event is only open to riders over the age of 16. Youths aged 16 or 17 may enter, so long as their entry form is countersigned by a parent/guardian.

Subject to numbers, we hope to have the following categories for both the Long and Short courses (in the event that less than 5 people enter a category, we will combine categories):

Sport Male 16+
Sport Female 16+
Masters Male 30+
Masters Female 30+
Veteran Male 40+
Veteran Female 40+
Grand Veteran Male 50+
Grand Veteran Female 50+

Due to the fact that the routes includes tracks/paths that are usually not open to members of the public, or are designated for walkers/horse riders, we cannot give the route out beforehand, and there can be no pre-riding of the entire route before the event. At registration on each event, there will be a map available, so you can see where the route goes. The route will be marked out by 3pm on the day of the event, so participants can slowly ride it in the daylight if they so wish.

The route will not be ridden beforehand due to the closure of most of the tracks to the public, so the whole race is completely blind
The route will not be ridden beforehand due to the closure of most of the tracks to the public, so the whole race is completely blind

To help in the riding of the lap on the race itself, we will be placing signage forewarning of any major hazards and of suitable upcoming overtaking points!

The price for entering both events will be £43 until the 31st October, when it will rise to £47 – this is a 10% discount off the price of entering both events individually.

Timings of the Event:

15.00 – Approximately – route will be available to pre-ride slowly in daylight
16.30 – Registration Opens (Registration will be signed with a Mud and Sweat Feather Banner)
At Registration you will be issued with a Bike Race Number – you will need to attach this to the front of your bike, so that it is visible.
Please ensure that if you haven’t already sent us a completed Entry Form that you bring one along to Registration.
18.20 – Registration Closes
18.35 – Final Event Safety Briefing and Warm Up (Start is approx. 5 minutes cycle away from the registration area)
18.45 – Event Starts!

What you need to bring:

A well-maintained mountain bike
Fully working bike lights – please ensure your lights are up to the job!
A bike helmet (the wearing of a helmet is compulsory)
A small first aid kit (including any personal medication and a whistle)
Bike repair kit (including pump, puncture repair and spare inner tube as a minimum)

We also recommend the following:

Reflective clothing
Waterproof or windproof layers
Bike computer (to help measure distance covered)
Snacks

For more info, visit: mudandsweat.com

Words & Photos: Mud & Sweat

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