Gorrick 100 Enduro

Swinley forrest was chilly and damp as 90 nervous cyclists gathered for the start of the Gorrick 100. Ahead of them 7 gruelling 10 mile laps of twisting woodland singletrack, open forest paths and of course the infamous sandy Surrey Hill climb. As if to emphasise the enormity of the task ahead the race briefing included the information that all riders must be finished by 6.30pm.

For me the Gorrick 100 is THE event that goes straight into the diary every year. I have had good results here, but the challenge is still a very personal one of forcing my body to complete a feat of physical endurance. This was the 7^th time I had stood on the start line and I had made it to the finish on each of the previous 6 occasions, (my times varying from just inside the time limit of 10 hours to last years 6 hours 20 minutes.)

It was obvious that this year wasn’t going to be the fastest event. Weeks of rain had left some of the trails soft and claggy. Luckily it wasn’t the mud bath of previous years, helped in part by the excellent all-weather trails that form part of the developing Surrey Hills MTB area. 

Experience is a wonderful thing! At the start I watched excited, adrenalin fuelled riders streak away as I took it easy for the first lap. Sure enough a lap or two later I saw many of the early eager beavers again, this time their faces pale, eyes set in a blank stare as energy reserves hit empty.

The second and most critical bit of knowledge I have picked up is to eat, eat and keep eating! You simply can’t get enough energy on board. From the start I was munching fig rolls, energy bars and bananas every 15 minutes. Probably as important is keeping topped up with fluids. I’ve tried various methods of refuelling but this year I opted for a pit stop every lap to pick up a fresh bottle and more grub. People with partners who have extraordinarily high tolerance to boredom get their food and bottles passed to them. Personally I haven’t found a way to persuade my wife to sit in a cold, soggy wood for an entire day, but those lucky few have a definite advantage.

The hilly sections of the course were loaded at the beginning of the lap so once over the traditional sandy cliff face you were able to enjoy the singletrack. In fact this year my arms were struggling before my legs as I wrestled the bike through the serpentine, switchbacks.

I quickly fell into a loose group with 2 riders. I say ‘loose’ because over this distance everyone rides at their own pace and has moments when they are feeling good, and bad times when they start to suffer. We constantly swapped position. I often gained on the climbs, then struggled to hold onto a wheel on the flat.

As the day progresses riders entering the shorter distances join the course. Obviously these are not real men (and women), but I’m sure they have a wonderful time smirking at the anguished faces of the 7 lappers! Anyway on lap four I was caught by Matt Knight from SDB who was riding the 40 mile challenge. After a quick chat we rode together and he kindly offered me a nice slip stream. This pulled me ahead of the others in my ‘group’ and I found myself alone.

Completing an endurance event can be as much about the mind as the body. With the legs screaming for a rest, convincing them and yourself that another 30 miles is a sensible idea can be tough. Your mind starts to suggest it might be easier to sit at the side of the trail for a while, or even better head back to the burger van in the car park. Lap 5 was the toughest for me as those evil voices whispered in my ear. I probably pushed too hard while riding with Matt. However, a brief comfort stop and an opportunity to top up some lost air in my rear tyre and I was back up and running. I was passed by one of the guys I had been riding with – which could have been a bad moment. But actually I felt ok and I felt stronger again as the final lap closed in.

I had been in the saddle for over 6 hours as I approached the climb for the 7^th and final time. Never before have I cleared the climb on every lap of a Gorrick 100. But this year surrounded by people walking, who were riding far fewer laps than myself I cleared the top. I knew then that I was going to finish and for the first time I started thinking about my position in the race. I knew I was unlikely to catch the guy ahead as he had continued to slowly pull away into the distance since passing me. I checked over my shoulder and my heart sunk at the depressing sight of a 7 lap number board a 100 meters behind. Damn! I pushed as hard as I could, strength in my arms and legs failing, co-ordination wandering as I negotiated the descents and corners towards the line.

Finally I could hear the commentary and smell the burgers! I had hung on and rolled across the line in 18^th. As a testament to how tough this event is, only 47 of the 90 starters completed the full distance. I had so little left that on the way home I had to stop for a nap. Luckily it was a bank holiday so opportunity for a lie in the next day!

On board video taken by the winner Ben Thomas