2024 Merida EX Enduro goes off with a splash
It was another wet one but the stoke was turned up to 11.
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Face up to 21 stages over three days with 79 other racers
Another year of the finest racing in the South West has come to a close - here's the roundup.
Classic event invites both regular and e-MTBs to its three day enduro format.
And big changes are ahead for the event in 2024
[Images by Paul Box / Framedogs]
The Merida EX Enduro is a favourite among off.road.cc staff and, for 2024, the unique multi-day enduro didn't disappoint. Although the rain fell, spirits were high as the 80 entrants tackled some of the best singletrack in the South West. Here's how it went.
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The EX Enduro is a staple of the race calendar owing to its unique multi-day format and spread of hospitality. The event takes riders over 24 race stages and 4,600m of descent through trails that are either rarely open to the public or require serious local knowledge to find.
With racing starting midday on Friday, entrants had some serious conditions to contend with after significant rainfall the day before. Wet is an understatement but despite the less-than-ideal conditions, the stoke was high as riders loaded up into the first uplift of the weekend and the only assisted help up a hill of the day.
2024 ex enduro 1.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The first day of racing is split into two with the first half being an ideal warm-up for the three night stages laid on by Exposure Lights. This is perhaps the most demanding part of the weekend as it's likely the first time riders will have strapped lights to their helmets after a few months of late sunsets. The day ended as it started – wet, but the traditional barbeque and beers were the light at the end of a tiring tunnel.
Saturday was the biggest day of racing of the whole weekend. It featured a whopping 10 stages, 1,700m of climbing over 35km. Luckily for the participants, the rain held off for the day. Although the EX Enduro is renowned for its ever-changing but always excellent stages, event organiser Michael Wilkens threw in a serious curve ball – Stage 8 (if you know, you know). Stage 8 wasn't only the sweetest of loam trails but was freshly cut for the 2024 event. It contained some of the most brutal climbs of the weekend that left many exhausted at the finish line.
2024 ex enduro2.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Of course, mid-way through Saturday's racing, there was the famous tea stop, welcoming riders to a well-deserved break while feeding them with all of the tea, cake, and scones possible.
On Sunday, the final day of racing, the rain came once again. Although it was a shorter day, yet another EX Enduro special was looming ahead, the Vominator which is yet another brutal climb placed directly after the mid-way tea stop.
2024 ex enduro4.jpg, by Liam Mercer
As what's become the norm for the Merida EX Enduro, all 80 entries were sold out in minutes, so if you're interested in signing up for next year, keep an eye on the EX Enduro's socials and we'll do our best to keep you updated.
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