The organisers of this annual 12 hour MTB race in Silkeborg, Denmark, known locally as ’12 timer i Jylland’ (or ’12 hours in Jutland’), state that their event is aimed at anyone with an interest in the sport. They also endeavour to make sure the route is not too technically difficult, in the hope that it will be viable for the everyday cyclist. There’s even a kids’ race for children aged up to 14, and an 8 hour youth event.

And there is logic to all this. The area of Denmark in which the event takes place has very flat terrain, and it is held in August when the temperature is a fairly forgiving 15?C. So it’s no wonder that the race is becoming an extremely popular fixture on the MTB calender. Visitors, sponsors and participants are attracted from throughout the MTB world, and the expo at the start point has grown into a veritable festival style village.

But is it genuinely a realistic prospect for the ordinary MTB enthusiast? The short answer is a cautious ‘yes’, however it’s not something you should go into without a lot of thought and an enormous amount of training.

It goes without saying that participating in an event like this entails all manner of logistical concerns. But it’s also important to remember that the challenge is primarily one of endurance. You would be covering the same route repeatedly during what would prove to be an incredibly long day. Fatigue would set in, and you would have work hard to sustain focus.

So there’s a lot to consider. But who knows? Have a look at the video and see what you think. This could be just the MTB adventure you’ve been looking for.