Britain’s leading mountain bike enduro racers travelled to the Isle of Man last weekend for the Lloyds British National MTB Enduro Championships powered by Cycle 360.
Hosted by Manx MTB Enduro, the two-day event also formed the 4th round of the British National Enduro Series.
It was the first time the National Championships had been held on the island. The course was based in the central cluster of Manx plantations, home to some of the island’s steepest and most distinctive trail features.
A field of 150 competitors enjoyed warm weather and dusty conditions. Saturday (August 1) featured a full day of practice across six unique stages, followed by a seeding run which counted towards the overall result. Sunday (August 2) then saw riders tackle five stages and around 40km of riding.
Route Development
Manx MTB Enduro has continued to develop both the event and its route over the years, and 2026 was no exception.
The Dingbat Dig Crew introduced creative new lines and alternative routes within established stages, helping to keep the racing fresh and engaging for every rider.
The event offered a varied and demanding mix of trails, widely regarded as among the most technical on the British circuit.
Steep stages in Slieau Whallian, Kings Forest and Arrasey tested the country’s best enduro riders, with several competitors describing them as some of the finest trails they had ridden in the UK.
Following Saturday’s demanding practice, the scene was set for the seeding run on the Wizards Sleeve stage. Local favourite and Orange Factory Racing rider Isaac Batty set the fastest time of 2:12, one second ahead of world enduro regular Will Brodie, while Henry Timewell was third on 2:15.
Significant Climb
Sunday began at Slieau Whallian on the Bear Ass stage, where Batty again set the quickest time of 2:20, closely followed by Timewell and Brodie. Riders then faced the significant climb to Kingcouver, a stage renowned for its steep drops and huge rock slabs.
Timewell made the most of the opening pedal section to win by six seconds from Batty, with Brodie a further second behind.
After Kings Forest came a lengthy pedal to Arrasey Plantation via the steep Barnell climb. Brodie took his first stage win of the weekend, two seconds ahead of Timewell, while a small slip cost Batty valuable seconds.
The Quarryline stage was then won by the consistent Timewell, one second ahead of Brodie, with Peter Carpenter three seconds back.
The final stage, Witches, was in prime condition for fast racing. The leading riders delivered record times, with Timewell setting the pace once more with a 2:46 to secure the overall National title.
Batty finished just one tenth of a second behind on the stage, enough to take third overall, while Brodie claimed third on the stage and the silver medal overall.
In the women’s class, EDR regular Bex Barron claimed the National title with a clear victory. Chloe Taylor finished second, with Katie Allsop taking third.
Full event results are available online: www.manxmtbenduro.com
Manx MTB Enduro would like to thank its sponsors Cycle 360, D&G Tax Services, Aston International and Orange Bikes.
Special thanks also go to Bear and Ben Collins for organising the event, Jack and the team at Event Fire and Medical Services, DEFA, Green Island Coffee, Matt Ward, the Dingbat Dig Crew, the marking-out team and all marshals for their long hours of dedicated work.