← All eventsMountain Mayhem
The original UK 24hr MTB race (since 1998), Marston Lodge, Northamptonshire. 8.2km XC lap with 191m climbing. Held on the weekend nearest midsummer, so the shortest possible night (~5-6hrs darkness). Solo/pairs/teams. Mud-prone. Noon Sat to noon Sun.
The UK's original 24-hour mountain bike race, run since 1998 and still the biggest in the discipline. Ride an 8.2km cross-country lap as many times as you can, from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.
It's held on the weekend nearest midsummer, so you get the shortest night of the year. Only five or six hours of real darkness, then an early sunrise. The day, not the night, is where this race is won.
Fast and flowing when dry, a notorious mudfest when wet. 191m of climbing a lap stacks up over 24 hours, and pit discipline on a sub-30-minute lap matters as much as raw fitness.
One lap
A fast 8.2km cross-country lap at Marston Lodge in Northamptonshire: farm tracks, woodland and flowing singletrack with 191m of climbing. You lap it over and over for a full 24 hours, noon Saturday to noon Sunday.
Is Mountain Mayhem for you?
- First-timers wanting an approachable first 24hr solo. The short midsummer night makes the darkness far less daunting than a winter event.
- Steady aerobic riders who pace, not sprinters. The result comes from holding a sustainable rhythm through roughly 18 hours of daylight.
- Riders who love a fast, flowing XC lap. Smooth cornering and slick pit stops on a sub-30-minute lap convert straight into more laps.
- Anyone drawn to heritage and atmosphere. This is the original UK 24hr, festival campsite and all, not a stripped-back time trial.
Training plan for Mountain Mayhem
A training plan for Mountain Mayhem isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Roughly 18 hours of daylight riding, so aerobic durability matters far more than peak power.
- 191m of climbing a lap stacks to 5,000 to 7,000m or more over 30-plus laps of repeatable effort.
- A short but real 5-6 hour night section that needs lights and night vision.
- Mud. A wet year hammers grip, drivetrain and morale, and can rewrite your lap count.
- Long endurance rides building to 5-6 hours, plus back-to-back weekends of a 5hr Saturday and 3hr Sunday.
- Sweet spot 2x20min at 88-93% FTP and Z3 tempo endurance rides for muscular endurance.
- Hill repeats of 8-12 x 3-4min, plus climbing intervals tacked onto the end of a 3-4hr ride.
- One or two night rides on singletrack to dial in lights, plus fuelling and fast pit-stop rehearsal.
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
