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Guys, not sure this is in the right area for this so please move if needed...

As some of you know I work with Adventure Race Essex to put on their running & mtb races.

The running 'adventure' style races are kind of there now - we have our numbers time and time again.

The thing we are still working on is the xc mtb event.

This year Nuclear Blast was good fun, numbers were a little lower than we would have liked but on the day entries were high.

So we are looking at it and trying to decide how we can make it more appealing to masses... next year we have the duathlon on the Saturday (21/09) and the XC Enduro on the Sunday (22/09) BUT I was thinking about a night event?

My question therein being what thoughts do people have on a night event? Would that be more appealing that a daytime xc enduro?

All thoughts and feedback are more than welcome

Night event would be really good, but the limiting factor is lights obviously!

Not many will pay out for as set of lights if they haven't already got a set I reckon

I think if you want to be more appealing for the masses a night event will go in the opposite direction. The majority of people have only commuting kind set of lights and the fact of being able to see my surrounding appeals much more than to ride in the dark IMHO.

Maybe a night event as an optional extension of the day event...given the choice i'do the night.

To be fair to you, this years was the 1st one wasn't it? I really enjoyed it! The event just needs to get known more, not sure if advertising will do the trick but word of mouth certainly will.
Get your site updated with photos from this years event and remove any mentions of entering the 2012 event. Then get next years event listed in as many of the MTB related places you can, BikeRadar, local bike shops (posters), local papers (nearer the time) and here!
As for a night event, I'm not sure that will get more people riding, sure a lot of the people who did it this year will probably be up for it, I would be but night events also put a lot of people off. I think you just need to give it time for the event to mature.

Cheers Eccles.

(sulking - I really like night riding...)

Me too! Especially as I have 3 lights like Ian and Nick have. They would last the Enduro course no problem.

Is there enough interest for two races day and night but not in the same month?

We've just been speaking about it here again and it looks like we'll have the Duathlon on the Saturday and then XC Enduro on the Sunday.

I think we'll be allowing camping SO I can't see what would stop resourceful people from getting in a night ride anyway... you know, by way of prep for the next day AND to make sure the course is clear...

Lets put it this way... I know I'll be fitting my lights and going for a night ride...

Dave, Add in a BBQ and free beer and I'm sure more will attend

We'd have it set-up as a festival if 500 people were to book - the owner wants to make a weekend of it... clearly he never got out as a lad...

Mountain Biking Festival now ya talking.... Beer Biking, BBQ's more Beer, Bacon,

Im up for it i would've done this year but didn't see it til i joined this forum in september!
night race id be up for...aint got lights but would get some! although the thetford night one is the same part of the year so you might be clashing a bit with a more established event!

I'd be there with a few others!!

Dave, i think the festival could be the way to go with this?
Dualthlon on the saturday afternoon,
Night XC race on the saturday night (not a dusk till dawn type affair, but a 2-4hr one) then a BBQ Beer and dancing (festa) then a full on Enduro on the Sunday.

covers all bases?