Longest Day Longest Ride British 24hr Championships

Taking up the gauntlet for this years British Solo 24Hr Championships was the awesome crew from Loaghtan Loaded MTB for the Longest Day Longest Ride 24hr on the Isle of Man. A relatively small event, but with a big reputation. The race course was set up in Conrhenny plantation, overlooking the coast line just half a mile from the famous Creg Ny Baa corner on the TT circuit. If there’s one thing this island isn’t short on, it’s two wheel history...

Having been greeted on the boat and shown to the race venue by crew members Will and Sue Nulty it was clear that the hospitality of this event was going to be quite like non other. Registration was down in Douglas on the Friday night which saw us all collect a HUGE goody bag (including a custom LDLR jersey, food, bottles, and nifty gadgets) from the organisers and sponsors. An awesome touch compared to the usual out of date energy bar at most races! 

The glorious view from the Conrhenny Campsite.

A short course of just 3.4 miles, but packing plenty of punch. Tight twisting singletrack (all with apt names, such as: Mr Tickle, Doubters Pass and Knights Trail), some flat out descents, and a couple of snotty climbs made the going deceptively hard work. A drop into boardwalk section was thrown in for good measure to keep tired minds on their toes.

After the islands three week previous stint of incredible weather it was only just right that it should piss it down on the morning of the race. Jackets and overshoes on as the clock ticked close to the 12 noon start,  and as if by magic the weather decided to behave, and the course dried wonderfully after a few hours (taking overshoes off whilst moving is somewhat fun...).

The pace was pretty hot at the front of the race with Keith Forsyth and Nigel Smith lighting the front of the solo race up from the gun. I eventually settled into second behind a flying Keith, around 10 minutes back, which was how the race stayed for over the first half. With the loss of daylight came my own demons (and midges!). Keith was seriously moving, and the mood in the pits was tense.  Lots of people were suffering on course, and whilst the gap to Nigel and Peter Nadin battling for third was growing, I just couldn’t close the gap to Keith.

Stunning skies and prime singletrack. What more could a 24hr racer ask for?

Whilst taking on more food in the pits the familiar blue and white I-Cycles jersey of Mr Forsyth came hurtling by putting me a lap down. On a short course (circa 20 mins) this wasn’t realistically a big deal. So undeterred I went out for another stint.
Through the night there was awesome support on course from various groups, including a few lads armed with a crate of Guinness, an air horn and speaker. Having some rowdy support is excellent and I personally love it. I'm obliged to wheelie on demand much to the disapproval of race organiser Gary. "Wasted energy max!" he would call. Worth it though...

Luckily for me, I love night riding. With the early hours of the morning approaching the feelings had improved and I was back ticking off the laps again. Again the short course really helped here, as you were never far from a familiar face. The mood on course was upbeat as the sun began to peak through the clouds at an unbelievable 3:30am and everyone started to put hot laps in. A cross over point on course meant a few tense glances were exchanged with Keith as we passed. The gap was coming down... 

I managed to pinch my lap back from Keith and then kept pushing for the lead. At some point in the early hours I managed to take it before stretching the gap to a healthy distance over Keith. Around 8am when the pits were alight with the smell of bacon I managed to catch Keith to go two laps up. We exchanged a bit of friendly banter as  for the first time in 20hrs of racing, we hadn’t even come eye to eye.
With the bacon still filling my nostrils I was back out on course. It's not over until that clock ticks over for the last time, so plenty more laps were still to come my way.

Fun twisty singletrack with stunning views.

With a fairly comfortable but close eye being kept on the super strong looking silent assassin Nigel Smith now in second, and an ever dangerous Matt Jones in third, words in the pit were being exchanged about event records and the current record holder and islander Steve Kelly was trying to abuse me into another 5 laps. Seriously?!  

Of course I had to have a crack, and a slightly inebriated Ger Jackson was sent out in borrowed kit (My shoes, Steve’s helmet, and Gary Kirby’s Bike) to keep me company for the final two laps. The final lap became a great social affair with fellow brit Peter Nadin (Newly crowned Grand Vet British 24hr Champion), Adrian Beale, Ger and myself chatting of the madness that had unfolded and ticking of that “one more lap”. 

Picking up the awesomely crafted LDLR trophy with the legends of
Nigel Smith and Matt Jones as company.

Retaining the British for a second year feels awesome, but a week later and I'm still just buzzing from the event as a whole. The guys from Loaghtan Loaded have put a superhuman amount of effort into growing this event, and to see it bloom into now one of the countries premiere 24hr races is simply awesome. The little things that usually slip by larger race organisers to do lists, all got ticked off at LDLR. Chapeau guys!

Race Stats:

Laps - 71

Distance - 234 Miles

Elevation Gain - 8694m

Calories - 11,600

Shout outs:
Thanks to Loaghtan Loaded (Especially Gary / Clare Cooper) for hosting one of the most memorable races on the calendar. Will Nulty and Susan Nulty for their insane levels of hospitality and enthusiasm. Stephen Kelly and Ger Jackson for moral support and wise words when those demons started to bite! 

Mark at Fabric for keeping me running on the best saddles and consumables going.
Specialized UK for simply the best pair of bikes anyone could ask for. The Epic FS is stunning to ride and didnt miss a beat.
HotPursuit Cycles - Long suffering of the barrage of 24hr related talk.
Craig Bowles at Big Heart Coaching. Anything about endurance racing this man doesn't know is seriously not worth knowing. If you're looking for a super friendly, relaxed coach who can deliver serious results, look no further.
MTB Strapon for the awesome little straps that find themselves all over my bike and kit.

Last but no means least my long suffering pit crew consisting of Mum and Dad. Always overlooked in a "Solo" race are the long suffering pit crew. Impossible without them, you are never truly alone in a solo 24hr race. They put up with a lot of shit, and work tirelessly on the build up and during the race.