Battle on the Beach 2016 entries open 1st January

Have you started planning some events to ride 2016 yet? Here’s one to add to your diary, the unique Battle on the Beach race, on 20th March. Entries will open on 1st January, and with last year’s event selling out in a single day, you’ll have to be quick if you want a place. 

Battle on the Beach is the UK’s only beach race and takes place in Pembrey Country Park in South Wales. It stands out because it’s the only race to take place primary on a beach - beach races are popular in Holland, and Matt Page, founder of A Cycling, has successfully replicated the essential ingredients of the format in the UK. 

The race is held at low tide with the sea a mile offshore, which should ensure firm sand for racing across. 

The event is open to all types of bikes, from mountain bikes to cyclocross bikes. Last year there were a healthy number of fat bikes. The choice of bike is down to personal preference and experience with riding on sand. I raced a 29er rigid mountain bike with 2.3in tyres and it worked rather well. 

There’ll be a healthy prize pot of up to £1,000 cash plus bundles of swag from sponsors SIDI, Halo, Lezyne, Kinesis UK and Schwalbe. Surly will be giving away a frameset for whoever matches the “magic lap”.

New for 2016 is the Battle in the Dark. This will be a single lap time trial on Saturday evening before the main event on Sunday. A single lap event is also available for anyone aged 12 and earlier in the day.

Entries open on 1st January and cost £28, or £40 with two nights camping included. Head to www.battleonthebeach.co.uk for more info and to enter online

Battle on the Beach is one of my riding highlights of 2015. It was the first time I had ever raced on sand, and it was a real blast. Standing on the start line in the soft sand of the dunes with 600 other people about to set off into the unknown was an exhilarating experience. I filmed the opening part of the first lap (until my camera battery died), you can watch it below. I’ll be back next year hoping to improve on my 21st finishing position in 2015.