What's the course like? Where can I stay? What can I expect on the day? When is sign-on. All essential information to help make your day can be found right here.

THE COURSE

At present the course is running well even with summer tyres. However as it is England and summer bring mud tyres too in case as you'll need the grip. So here is a brief run down of the course. All climbs can be done on a singlespeed (one only just though!) so don't be too scared when we say steep. With all the lovely singletrack you may be worried about overtaking or being overtaken. Fear not as there are plenty of fireroad sections and also several of the singletrack decents have multiple line choices so the race should run freely.

We start in a grass open area next to Stanmer Wood and barrel along the grass for 100metres or so before darting left and cutting right into the wood itself. A quick scoot along some doubletrack with some odd roots and already it is up the first climb of the day and this one is short, sharp with several roots to contend with. Line choice will help you here. We then head right and down slightly before a singletrack uphill. Again short and this brings you out onto a "fireroad". We'll use this term but technically it is not a fireroad but it is a smooth hardpack trail where you can grab a gel etc.

Get your breath back and then it is back into the woods for a new bit of singletrack that dips, dives and traverses across the woodland before bringing you out at the bottom of a doubletrack climb. Bit longer this one and enough to get stuck into a descent rhythm. At the top it's right into more singletrack and a tricky steep descent before we hit the toughest climb of the race. It starts off well and then gets steeper and steeper with lots of roots to contend with. Power, line choice and stubbornness will see you to the top and what a reward awaits. Super fast downhill singletrack until we hit a longer fireroad mellow drag upto the top of the course.

What follows is about 5 minutes of slightly downhill crazy twisty turning singletrack with multiple line choices. Onto another flat fireroad to refuel before it's into the next bit of superfast downhill singletrack. Onto a downhill straightline doubletrack and then dart right onto the bridge that crosses the A27 into more fast and furious downhill singletrack. You'll have a massive smile by this point!

Up a short tough climb back over the A27 and up up up (this will hurt a touch) a variety of mellow and very short steeper climbs until we go back into more super fun wiggly singletrack over some small log hops to keep you on your toes. A quick bit of fireroad and then into yet another superfast downhill bit of singletrack. Will you be brave enough to hop The Brighton Big Log or take the safe line? This downhill singletrack goes on for ages sweeping left, right you have another massive smile on your face by this point too! Yet more singletrack awaits (with two route options!) that traverses down to the bottom of the park before a grass climb and steeper singletrack uphill lead you the final singletrack decent back to the finish.

See what Bike Magic thought of it last year. Click here.

RACE FORMAT

It is a 6 hour race. If you are in pairs or teams this will take the form of a relay so only one member of your team out on the course at any one time. There will be a pit area where you can handover the baton (a U.S.E. stem cap and lanyard) to your team mate. The race will finish at 6pm and only laps completed by this time will count, so think if it gets to 5.20pm think carefully about if you want to go out again, because if you are not in by 6pm then it won't count. Prize giving, and there are a lot of prizes, will be from 6.30pm in the main arena under the unflatable arch.

TIMING

All timing will be done by the lovely people at Timelaps who will show the full results on their website. This will also include all the Onderdog laps too so you really can see who was the Hot Dog out of your friends.

SIGN ON

The SIGN ON period is from 9.30 until 11am. You will have access to the course before 11am for a warm up lap. Please note a full lap is approx 8 miles and could take over 40 minutes dependant on your ability. Every rider to access the course will need a number and helmet.

RESERVES

These will be invited to sign on at 11.40 (20mins before the start) for any spaces remaining. Email info@brightonbigdog.com to be put on the official reserves list.