MTB East Marshal Club – Get Involved! 🚵🏽‍♂️🟡🙌🏾

Behind every awesome MTB East race is a small (but mighty!) crew of volunteers.  
These legends give up their time to make the magic happen—not just on race day, but in the lead-up too: marking the course, setting up HQ, supporting riders, and helping results run smoothly.

For 2026, we’re launching the **MTB East Marshal Club** — a proper home for everyone who helps keep the League rolling.

Can You Lend a Hand?
Racing later and free in the morning? Watching a friend? Bringing a parent, partner, or mate who’s willing to help?  
We’d love to have you join the marshal team. Your support makes the event safer, smoother, and more fun for everyone.

🔍 What Does a Marshal Do?
Marshalling puts you right in the heart of the race. You’ll:
• Stand at a designated course point.  
• Help riders stay on track.  
• Cheer, encourage, and add some friendly banter.  
• Report any issues via radio or phone.  
• Keep the course clear and safe.

Prefer not to roam the woods?  
You can join the **Timing Crew** instead — simply noting or calling out rider numbers as they pass. Easy, essential, and perfect if you want to stay near HQ.

⏱️ How Long Do I Need to Help?
Marshal sessions are flexible:

• Morning: 08:30–11:30  
• Afternoon: 11:30–14:30  
• Full Day: 08:30–14:30  

Even one session at one race is a huge help.

💛 New for 2026: Marshal Club Perks
We want marshals to feel valued — properly.

For each race you help at, you earn:

• **Half Day:** Free drink (hot or cold) + 50% off race entry  
• **Full Day:** Free drink + free hot food + free race entry  

And as a Marshal Club member, you also get:

• **Season Recognition:** End-of-year appreciation shout-out + special prize draw 🎁  
• **Training & Support:** A quick briefing before each race so you know exactly what to do  
• **Community:** Meet other riders, supporters, and parents who help keep MTB East thriving  

🚑 What If There’s an Emergency?
Serious incidents are rare, but here’s what to do:

1. Make sure **YOU** are safe.  
2. Call it in immediately to control (radio/phone).  
3. Keep the area safe for the casualty and other riders.  
4. The medical and comms team will take over from there.

You’ll always receive a simple briefing before the race, so you’re never left unsure.

🌲 Why Marshal?
• You help keep grassroots MTB alive  
• You get the best seat in the house  
• You support young riders and adults chasing their goals  
• You become part of a proper community  
• And… you get cool rewards while you’re at it 😄

Ready to Join the Team?
We’d love to welcome you to the MTB East Marshal Club.  
Drop us a message, talk to us on race day, or sign up through the website.  
Let’s make every round safe, smooth, and unforgettable! 🚵🏿‍♀️💨💛

MTB East 2026 Cotton T-Shirt – £19.99
Soft cotton. Serious comfort. Questionable life choices.
Order now and collect it at the first round you ride — ideal for post-ride snacks, spectator duties, and looking like you absolutely meant to be there.

The number boards are off to print.
All U7 / U9 / U12 boards will feature a cartoon character from the MTB east crew. This isn’t just for fun (though it helps) — it’s to make boards easier to spot when parents are in a pre-race scramble, digging through a chaotic car boot, helmets everywhere, shoes missing, and a race start looming.

A quick glance, the right cartoon, and you’ve got the right board — one less thing to think about on race morning.
Enter here 

🚵‍♂️ 2026 MTB East League – Entries Open Early + What’s New This Year
Welcome to the 2026 Season
While doing the site setup for our 2026 League, we accidentally left the entries page visible — and a few keen riders jumped in straight away. Rather than closing it off again, we decided: why not make the most of it? So entries are now open for anyone to sign up whenever it suits. No need to wait for 1 January.

To make things a little more exciting: everyone who enters before 1 January automatically gets entered into a draw. The lucky winner will get either a 50% refund on a full series entry, or 3 free rounds if entering individual races. 🎉

Why 7 Rounds This Year (and What It Means)

As many of you know, in July our son was diagnosed with cancer. That changed a lot — personally and practically. Running a full-season MTB series while supporting him through treatment is a lot.

So for 2026 we’re running a slightly shorter, tighter format: 7 rounds, designed to be manageable while still delivering a strong, fun, competitive experience for everyone.

But don’t worry — this isn’t the end of expansion. As soon as things stabilise, we fully intend to get back to more venues and a broader calendar. 2027 will be the comeback year. 💙

What’s New & What’s Staying for 2026

• 🔹 7-round League — compact, focused, rider-friendly
  
• 🔹 Best 6 results count toward overall season standings
  
• 🔹 Fresh 2026 number boards and updated membership rules — all riders need a new board this year
  
• 🔹 Flexible entry — Single-entry or full-season Series Entry, depending on what suits you best
  
• 🔹 Marshal Club, community vibe, friendly atmosphere — perfect for all levels: from first-timers to seasoned racers
  
  

How to Get Involved

1. Head to the “MTB east home” page.
   
   
2. Choose either Single race entry or Series Entry (Series Entry includes your 2026 membership and number board).
   
3. Enter before 1 January to get automatically entered into the prize draw.
   
4. Keep an eye on your email — we’ll send race info and updates as soon as the schedule is finalised.
   
   

Why the MTB East League Stands Out
MTB East isn’t about pro-level pressure — it’s about grassroots energy, supportive racing, and an inclusive community. Whether you’re a U7 rocking a balance bike, a parent cheering on your kid, or an adult rider coming back after time off: this league is designed for you.

Expect:

• Varied terrains and courses
  
  
• A friendly but competitive atmosphere
  
• Accessibility (age categories for juniors, ability-based adult categories)
  
• Community spirit — often raised by marshals, volunteers, families and riders helping each other out
  
  

A Note From Us
2026 will be a different year — tighter, thoughtful, personal. But we believe it can also be strong, meaningful, and full of the same spirit that made MTB East what it is.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for riding, volunteering, and believing in the community. We can’t wait to see you at the start line. 🚵‍♂️💨

Thanks to everyone who filled in the 2025 survey!
We’ve read every comment (even the cheeky ones 😏), and here’s a rundown of your feedback—plus a few replies from us. Some comments have been grouped where they had a similar vibe. Buckle  up…
Is there anything you would like to see improved, added or changed for the 2026 Season?
 
“No” - An easy one to kick things off—cheers for that!

Kent is a long way…We know--it’s a hike from Norfolk, Suffolk, or anywhere north of Dartford. That said, it’s a cracking venue we only discovered last year, and we think it earns its spot in the League. Good news: only one Kent round in 2026, and we’re working on a Suffolk round to help balance things out.“Can we get some cheerleaders at the finish line?” -  Isn’t Silly Hat Gary enough for you?

More passing places please! - We make courses as wide as we can, but there’s only so much space at each venue. I’ll happily lend out my strimmer if anyone wants to help clear brambles.

Twisted Oaks was brilliant! - Agreed! The trails had a great mix and were more technical than most, but logistically, it was a nightmare. Two separate start/finish areas meant manual timing for the U7/U9/U12s. The car park was a fair walk from the course, which made for less atmosphere, and we had barely any space for a finish straight. That said, we’re coming back in 2026, and we’re already talking to the venue to fix those issues. Expect it earlier in the season, too, as the ground drains well.

Lap board - Races are run on time, so if you start your GPS, you should have a rough idea of how long is left. We have to decide on the fly, depending on lap times and course conditions, as to when to ring the bell for the final lap. 

Getting to races with kids is tough - 100% understand. The League started in SE Essex (Potash & Hadleigh), and we’re still growing outward. With many other local series gone, we’ve tried to offer something to those riders, too. We know younger riders often want to attend every round, and that’s hard. No easy fix, but we’re trying.

Five races in a row! - We didn’t plan that. The second Bettshanger date had to be moved due to the availability of the venue, and that pushed us into a five-week block. Not ideal, but we’d rather run the race than cancel it. We’ll do better with spacing in 2026.

Too much hanging around at Gallows Green - That venue came together at short notice, and ended up being brilliant! Massive thanks to Stuart at Flitch Bikes. The short course format needed time between races so slower riders could recover and the course could be cleared. Without the gap, it would’ve just been a single XC race with a long pause in the middle. Might return in 2026 or we might try something else.

Training days? - There is already run women’s sessions on Saturdays before each Potash race (shoutout to Kevin). If there’s demand for other groups, we can explore it.

Fast riders dominating a category? - Take a look at our race position and heatmap charts—we’re keeping an eye on it. If someone is consistently winning by a mile, they’re likely ready to move up. In most cases, the results sort themselves out.

Event with Beastway? - Open to it! Always happy to talk to other organisers.

Gridding by average points - This method works better in cyclocross. For a league like ours, gridding is based on your position in the overall standings, just like in the UCI and National Series. First race of the season = based on last year. After that, it’s your 2026 position.We try to avoid rewarding people who dip in and out over those who’ve committed to the series.


Number board cost - Totally hear you. This was our first year running MTB East, and we had a lot of one-off costs—timing gear and batteries (over £1,000 just there). With 3+ races, the current system is still cheaper than many others.But! I’m working on a better system for 2026—probably a small MTB East membership fee per race, so those doing fewer events aren’t penalised with a big upfront cost.


League points – too many races to count? - Actually, there’s no minimum--one race gives you a league placing. It’s just that the best 8 of 10 format gives you a chance to drop 2 (mechanical, holiday, off day, etc.).We set it up to encourage riders to try new venues, not just stick to Potash. We’ll review the number once we finalise the 2026 schedule.
Gary in a tutu - You think he needs encouragement?

Travers bikes stand at races - Honestly—who wouldn’t want to see a wall of titanium bling?!

Hadleigh Olympic Course - We’ve run 12+ races there over the years, but sadly it’s not the venue it used to be. Hadleigh Park management doesn’t seem interested in MTB racing anymore, so we’re focusing elsewhere.Entry on the day (for fun race only?) - Tricky one—number boards have two RFID chips that need to be linked to the rider, added to the start list, uploaded to the timing system… it’s a faff and easy to mess up. That’s why we close entries on Wednesday night—to keep things running smoothly.

Early bird entry discounts? - The current entry fee is already lower than similar-sized series. Offering discounts would mean raising late entry costs, which could put people off. We aim to keep things affordable for everyone from the start.

Elite/S1 race at the end of the day - We’ve moved the schedule around over the years, but with more riders and more races, there’s only so much time in the day. We start early for U7/U9/U12, then run a packed programme with very little wiggle room. It’s not ideal for everyone, but it’s the best fit overall.

More races at each venue? - Would be great! Right now, Potash is our base—strong attendance there helps fund the League and lets us support other venues. The more riders we attract elsewhere, the more we can expand.

Night or endurance racing? - We’ve done a night race before (pre-chip timing). As you said, reading numbers was tough—but less so now! The issue is the schedule: even in spring, sunsets’s around 7:30 pm, which pushes races late into the night. Not sure I fancy asking the marshals to stay until midnight…That said, endurance racing is on my long-term to-do list!


Big thanks again to everyone who contributed! Whether your feedback was practical, passionate, or purely tutu-related, we appreciate it all.
Bring on 2026!