2015 Highlights

As we approach the end of an incredible year, we can look back at the events and highlights.
During the year, we organised a total of 10 events with total of 1393 people entering the events.

Pembrey Winter XC Series

The Pembrey Winter Series was started to give riders a chance to get some early racing in the legs and also to demonstrate the superb facilities and riding available within the park.
Holding Round 1 of the Welsh Mountain Bike Series was an honour for us and while many people will be disappointed to hear that the season is unable to return in 2016, the series popularity was enough to persuade us to put in a bid to host a round of the British Mountain Bike Series. We are extremely pleased to say the bid was successful and we will be organising Round 1 of the British Mountain Bike Series in Pembrey in 2016, with UCI Class 1 categorisation – the highest possible for a British National Event. Without the feedback from riders taking part, this would not have been possible.

Battle on the Beach

Despite being only in its second year, the popularity of the event seems to keep growing! The event sold all 600 places in just 40 hours!
With riders making the trip to Pembrey in Carmarthenshire from across the UK and even Belgium & Netherlands, Battle on the Beach has become a must-do event for many riders and was regarded as the event of the year by many riders and reviewers. Entries for the 2016 event will go on sale on January 1st – who know how quickly it will sell out this year!

The Monster

The UK’s toughest sportive is a title that we are very proud of! The small, friendly event filled the village of Llangadog within Carmarthenshire last July, with a maximum of 120 riders attending.
A slightly tweaked course proved a hit with the riders, with many commenting on how beautiful the Carmarthenshire scenery is. The tough event continued to challenge everyone who took part, with a mere 60% of riders being classed as “finishers”.

Epic Cymru

By far the most challenging event from an organisational point was Epic Cymru. With 180 riders from all around the World attending the 5 day event, the pressure was on to deliver a stage-race that Wales can be proud of.
The new race format, combining enduro style timing with XC challenges was a real hit and with pro riders including Mark Weir, Jason Moeschler and MTB legend Joe Murray all praising the event, we are very excited about what lies ahead.

Cross Mountain

Holding an off-road cycle event in November is a little like playing Russian Roulette with the weather gods! This year the forecasts were not looking great, but despite this almost 200 hardy soles made it to the start line to tackle either the 35km or 55km courses that were on offer. High winds and weeks of rainfall previously made the going very tough, but every single rider who started made it around the distances on offer, perhaps helped by the feed stations around the route, which are starting to receive some real acclaim. The sight of 200 cyclists riding through Llandovery town was quite something and we are looking forward to the 2016 event.

2016 Plans & Events

Next year will see some big new events for us and some big new challenging, especially the UCI Category 1 British Mountain Bike Series, which is likely to attract up to 1000 racers across the weekend. In total we will have 8 events and expect to attract almost 3000 participants. We are already well into the planning stage of next years events and can share the event dates:

Pembrey Duathlon – February 28th. A new, off-road duathlon event will become the only British Triathlon sanctioned Cross Duathlon event in Wales. Entries are now open with the choice of the full event, or novice half distance option available.

Battle on the Beach – March 19/20th. Expect big things for the 3rd BOTB event. Entries open January 1st.

British Mountain Bike Series – April 2/3rd. The only Category 1 UCI race within the UK. Expect big names from around the World to take part as the try to qualify for Rio 2016 Olympics.

Dragon Duathlon – June 18th. Will this become the UK’s toughest duathlon event? We think so! Participants will cover 280 kilometres by bike and by foot as the cross Wales, starting in Beaumaris and finish in Cardiff Bay within 24 hours. The course will push people to the limits as the they the length of Wales and climb the Welsh 3 peaks along the way.

The Monster – July 9th. The UK’s hardest sportive returns on July 9th, expected to follow a similar route to the popular 2015 event. Entries are expected to open in March.

Epic Cymru – July 30th to August 3rd. Staying in South Wales for next year, the route will cover new terrain but offer a similar riding experience.

Tide 2 Tide – October 1st. The unique and popular 6 hour off-road event held within Pembrey Country Park will return after a break in 2015. Running from high tide to low tide, riders will be tested on a fun and rewarding course.

Cross Mountain – November 6th. Further news about the 2016 event will be released early in the year.