The 2014 National MTB Marathon Championships are set to have a festival vibe, with a whole programme of cycling activities planned in and around Selkirk on the weekend of 10 May, organisers have announced.

The championships, which return to the Scottish Borders for 2014, will be staged as part of the Selkirk MTB Marathon and run over an 80 km single-lap course.

Event organisers are aiming for a full-on festival feel, with plans to close the high street in Selkirk on Friday evening with pump tracks, stunt shows, roller racing and bike films. On Sunday, following the race, there will be a round of the Scottish MTB Orienteering series.

The National MTB Marathon Championships are open to male and female riders (19 or older) who are British citizens and hold a full British Cycling or UCI recognised racing licence; with coveted red, white and blue jerseys up for grabs. There are also integrated championship categories for veteran men and women.

For those non-license holders who are taking part in the Selkirk MTB Marathon, there are three fully-marked courses with distances of 25km, 50km and 80km; something for families, novices, intermediates, enthusiasts and racers alike.

All the courses are a mix of natural and hand-made singletrack, twin-track forest roads and ancient drove roads. Riders will visit the valleys of the rivers Tweed, Yarrow and Ettrick. They can expect lung and thigh-busting climbs that are rewarded with epic grin-inducing descents. The 80km British Championships course will also include some of the very best man-made trail centre routes at Innerleithen.

Renowned trail builder and course designer, Pete Laing (7Stanes and Golspie), is already scouting new sections to freshen up the marathon courses and will include a few special timed ‘Enduro’ sections to add a little more spice to the events.

Paul McGreal of Durty Events said: “We’re really excited to have been asked to again organise the British Championships alongside the popular Selkirk Mountain Bike Marathon.

“We’re expecting the very best riders in the UK to come and test themselves on the very best single-lap course in the country.

“We believe we have the best trails the Scottish Borders has to offer and the most popular and challenging course in the UK which is why Selkirk has been voted ‘Best MTB Marathon’ several times.

“We aim to provide an achievable challenge for riders of every ability in fantastic surroundings with a lot of fun thrown in as well.”

The National MTB Marathon Championships and the Selkirk MTB Marathon will take place on Saturday 10 May 2014 and the event will be based at Selkirk Leisure Centre.

Online entry is via www.entrycentral.com with full information at www.selkirkmtbmarathon.com.