Fife's Eliminator returns – exclusive Head2Head bike racing

The Eliminator Head2Head MTB Weekender returns to Fife in 2015 - This is not Enduro, Downhill or Cross Country... This is The Eliminator! Electrifying two wheel head to head downhill action through a barley field.

On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July the hillsides, forests and the barley fields of Parkhill Farm, Newburgh in Fife, will again play host to one of the UK's most exclusive gravity mountain bike events - The Eliminator Head2Head MTB Weekender.

Organisers, Muckmedden Events, are promising a fun packed, family-friendly weekend on two wheels with bike racing for all ages, mobilebike park, pumptrack, on-site camping pitches, real ale bar, delicious food, live music, storytelling sessions and even a dual slalom through a fully-ripened Barley field!

The centerpiece of this laid-back event is the Eliminator Head2Head MTB Race, which pitches Downhill Speed Merchants against XC Whippets and Enduro Specialists in a head to head downhill battle.

The race consists of three sections - The Bear, an open hillside slalom, The Fairmer's Forest, forest singletrack, and the aptly named Crazy Crops, a dual slalom course through a handlebar-high barley field.

Event organiser Aaron Gray said; "We're ecstatic the Eliminator is back for 2015. I don't know of any other downhill track that you could pitch an XC rider on a hardtail against a Downhiller on a DH bike and either could win. That's the beauty of The Eliminator for me, everybody loves racing down hills and The Eliminator is race that levels the playing field and you can't stop smiling while you're doing it. And it's not often you get to race through a Barley field without being shot at by the farmer! "

After a full day of uplifted practice on Saturday 25 July, The Eliminator riders will post two-timed seeding runs todetermine who they will race against in Sunday's Eliminator tournament. In the elimination heats on Sunday, pairs of riders race on parallel trails and the first to cross the line progresses to the next round. If a rider loses, they can still progress to the grand final by winning their next races. However, if a rider loses a second race they are eliminated and can then compete in various other competitions taking place over the weekend, such as a Dual Slalom Eliminator and the Pumptrack Challenge.

Craig Falconer, overall winner of The Eliminator in 2013, is delighted to see the event's return. Craig said: "The Eliminator is one of the most diverse races I've ever done. It's great for huckers on their downhill bikes to line up against the whippets on their carbon 29ers. I loved every bit of it and can't wait to do it again this year!"

For non-racers Saturday features a mountain bike demo day with full uplift facility, giving riders the chance to get a lift to the top of the hill and test ride Downhill, Enduro and XC bikes on the Eliminator track, while racers familiarise themselves with the track beforequalifying. Saturday evening consists of a women's scenic ride-out along the Fife Coastal Path, followed by live acoustic set in the bar by two members of American roots band "The Black DiamondExpress".

Sunday is race day, with Balance Bike and Pedal Bike racing for ages 3 – 6 years. The SMBC will be hosting a kids "hot lap" XC races for U 8's, U 10's U 12's and U 14's including "Crazy Crops" dual slalom section plus the main Head2Head race. The wee ones will also be entertained throughout the weekend with a craft tent, storytelling sessions from Helena's Barefoot Books and marshmallow toasting by the fire in the evening.

Aaron Gray added: "The event only appears once every couple of years as the fences have to be removed and the livestock shipped out for the weekend.

"Since the last Eliminator in 2013 Parkhill Farm have installed a new uplift road and we have built an amazingly fun new race track with a 'jump line' for riders who like to get airborne and a 'slalom line' for those who don't. Alpine Bikes are bringing along their mtb demo fleet on the Saturday too, so even non-racers can enjoy an uplift day on the Eliminator track riding top notch bikes. It should be a cracker of a weekend!"

For full details or to enter go to: www.muckmedden.co.uk/the-eliminator