The 17th of May saw the first Gravity Enduro night race taking place at Queen Elizabeth County Park, Hampshire. For those of you unfamiliar with gravity enduro racing, this is how it works - you have a set number of stages, usually between 3-6, which you must complete and are timed on.The trails usually consist of downhill(ish) type trails mixed in with singletrack. 'European' style races give a set amount of time to get to the start of the next stage or else the rider will be penalized. Usually the time given for the transitions is generous but a puncture or mechanical can make things interesting!
Two hours were given to practice the course beforehand but the hot weather meant I resorted to only practicing two stages. Once the sun began to set the racing got underway and the riders began a gentle climb from the race village to the first stage . Racing at night brought an added element of excitement. A sold out event saw 150 riders leave at 20 second intervals, frantically pedaling to get a good start. The first stage included a number of steep drops to get the adrenaline pumping. By the end of the stage I was right on the tail of the rider ahead of me so was satisfied that I had given it my all.
Stage 2 was a shorter trail but included a nasty rock garden which was not ideal on a hardtail. Stage 3 was a pedal friendly stage that helped me gain a few seconds but energy levels were seriously depleted by the end of it. Stage 4 utilized some of the man-made trails at QECP. Spectators decided to camp out beside the berms at the end - a perfect place to witness me coming off! As I dusted myself off, I could see the lights of the race village and pedaled home to a welcome beer waiting for me on the finish line. 48th place was the best I could manage but the great atmosphere and trails made it worthwhile.
If you are interested in competing in a gravity enduro, here are the details of the next one at QECP:
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