As much as I’d like to take credit for the MEGA acronym, I can’t. But that doesn’t negate the fact that over the weekend just gone, Sean ClarkE made Enduro racing great again. And in all honesty, it wasn’t that hard of a task.

I was bike number 83 of a whopping 248 riders who started the first terrain test at Round One of the National Club Enduro Series. The average number of riders at a 2024 NZ Enduro Series round was 70. Just let that sink in for a bit.

Of course, there are a few ‘unfair’ advantages that Sean has going for him. He arguably has some of the best riding and tracks the country has to offer. Tokoroa is located smack bang in the middle of the largest population spread in the country. It’s close enough for Aucklanders to attend without fear of them turning back into pumpkins. And if you attend a Sean Clarke event, you know it’s not going to be rubbish. Some of that is luck, but in reality, most of it reflects many years of hard work and a solid reputation.

The change from cross-country races to enduros by Sean was, in my opinion, an attempt to revitalise a discipline that is very near and dear to Sean - and to me, for that matter. Having stopped full-time racing back in 2018, I still keep an eye on the race results, but as the years have gone by, the numbers have dwindled more and more. To be fair, enduro racing has always been a bit hamstrung in the participation department. It’s not glamorous, it’s a terrible spectator sport, and it often requires lots of travelling and is hard on equipment.

Back in my heyday, we used to have enduro events stretching from Northland all the way down to Wellington - with the odd South Island event from time to time. In comparison, the 2024 series saw four rounds in Christchurch, two in Wellington, and two in Martinborough (which might as well be Wellington). Considering approximately 76% of NZ’s population lives in the North Island (and I imagine most of that is north of Palmerston North) I think that plays a huge part in rider attendance.

Interestingly though, in 2024, the four Christchurch rounds had bigger rider numbers than the four North Island rounds. And going through the rider list, this was due to South Island riders turning up for their local races, but only a handful made the trip north. This is something that hasn’t changed in all my years of racing. And here’s an unpopular opinion: if South Island riders aren’t going to support the full series, then keep the whole series in the North and subsidise the five or so riders who want to make the trip. The same applies to motocross too, but that’s another story.

You can read a similar post I wrote from 2019 titled: A South Island Enduro Doesn’t Make Sense.

Not needing an MNZ licence definitely plays a factor, but I’d suggest this isn’t the main one. The great location, proven awesome riding trails, and return to the classic enduro classes naming made for one MEGA event. Our national series runs an AA/A/B classification. What was wrong with Intermediate and Expert?

If I could gripe a bit, it would only be that I’d like to have seen real-time timing used instead of the older-style flip cards. As an event geared towards getting people to try enduros, and hopefully getting more people addicted, setting them up early on real time, like the rest of the world would have been a cool feature. And I’d like to have seen the Expert and Intermediate grades split on track, as starting from minute 29 meant I had to do a lot of passing in the terrain tests. I reckon I could have won overall otherwise. 😉 But that’s just me nit picking really.

If you missed it - good. Stay home. I don’t need any more riders getting in my way. But in all seriousness, it was a fantastic event, and if you’ve ever thought about giving enduro a go, do this series. You won’t regret it.

And MNZ - this is how it’s done. I believe that you too can Make Enduros Great Again.