Forestry Commission - News - fighting fit for biking event

The upcoming Merida mountain bike marathon, which takes place in the Borders at the end of this month, is set to test local forester Steve Penny to the limit.

For the past six months, Steve, who works as area operations manager for Forestry Commission Scotland, has been taking to the saddle training hard for the gruelling event, which attracted 700 riders last year.

This is the second time the Merida 100 Marathon series has come to Selkirk. In the first year Steve assisted in covering the event as a first aid member of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team. He enjoyed the event so much he set his own challenge then to actually ride the longest 85km option of the marathon when it came back to Selkirk in 2005.

Not only has Steve had to work up a high level of fitness, but he has had to sharpen all the skills needed for mountain biking.

He said:

"Last year's event was fantastic and the brilliant atmosphere really spurred me on to have a go myself. Being new to marathon riding, I found the training really hard at first, but also a lot of fun. To date I have worked up to 60km off-road and at the start of the month I completed four laps in a row of the red route at Glentress.

"No matter what happens on the day, I've enjoyed every bit of my training schedule and see taking part as a real personal achievement. I count myself as being very lucky because I've got many of the world-class 7stanes biking trails on my doorstep, and of course once I've had that hard training ride, there's always the The Hub cafe for a quick pit stop and a bit of chocolate cake!"

The Merida 100 Marathon takes place on 31 July, starting from Selkirk. There are three distances for participants to choose from: 55km; 70km and 85km. The route will ride upwards through Yair Forest to Elibank Forest and then on to the famous 7stanes Traquair XC route. There are seven killer climbs in all and lots of technical terrain to test the best mountain bikers from all over the country. Last year the Merida event in Selkirk was voted the best in the whole series.

Trailbuilding consultant Pete Laing from Selkirk is course designer:

"With a tough and technically challenging route, and the likelihood of a bigger entry than last year, we are yet again set for a cracking event. Local mountain bike enthusiasts have been quietly working away on numerous woodland trails for many years and now we want to show Britain how good the riding is in the Scottish Borders.

"What made the event so successful last year was the great reception and welcome that mountain bikers received from the local community. I had numerous participants going out of their way to pass on their thanks not only to the organisers, but also to local people who were also enthusiastic about the event."

For more information about the Merida Marathon series log on to www.mtb-marathon.co.uk. Entry forms available at Glentress mountain bike centre.

Media enquiries to: Steve Williams, Forestry Commission Scotland, press office 0131 314 6508.