“You do realise you’re talking to a mountain biking dinosaur…?”
These are some of the first words that Pat says to me when I phone him for a chat. And yet, Mountain Mayhem as a race isn’t about to become extinct just yet, and neither is Patrick Adams. We caught up with him before Mountain Mayhem’s 19th edition (on 18/19) June for a quick chat.
Mountain Mayhem is 19 this year. Tell us how the event’s changed over the years…
“Over the years the event has morphed into something totally utterly different. At the start we had racers like the Giant World Team, Tinker [Juarez – Ed] and Gary Fisher. Ordinary mountain bikers could ride alongside these celebrities. Now it’s become more like an adventure race, but we still have hardcore racers too.”
Why did you decide to start a UK 24 hour mountain bike race?
“I’d seen a video of the 24 Hours of Canaan via the internet [the 24 Hours of Canaan, established three years before Mountain Mayhem in 1995]. Chipps had ridden Canaan, as had Rory Hitchens [industry stalwart and lovely chap – Ed]. These people helped me set the first one up and they’re still mostly involved today. At the end of the first one Gary Fisher – god himself – said ‘You know Patrick, this will be big'”.
Did you realise how big?
“No! And it’s created lots of challenges. Sponsorship is really hard these days. You can’t just go to a bike company and say ‘OK, we’ll put your name on the number board if you sponsor our event’ any more; it’s not enough. You need really visionary sponsors. Mountain Mayhem has 1000-1500 riders each year. And our sponsors recognise that these people don’t just mountain bike – they camp, they walk, and so on.”
Your events always have super catchy names: Mountain Mayhem, Sleepless in the Saddle…
“Red Bull’s PR team [Red Bull was the first sponsor – Ed] came up with the name Mountain Mayhem. Chipps came up with the name ‘Sleepless in the Saddle’. My son-in-law also comes up with the names of some of my other events.
Who helps you put the events on?
“My partner on Mayhem is Jill Greenfield, who runs Pacific Edge Events. I get a lot of the shine, and Jill really deserves more credit. I’ve got other lads on my team – a couple of them have been with me for 12 years now.”
You’ve branched out into running events too.
“I put on the Thunder Run and the Lightning Run, which are 12 and 24-hour running events. We see a bit of a crossover between these and the mountain biking events. But my heart is in Mountain Mayhem; I owe the success of my business to it.”
What’s your take on the state of the mountain bike world?
“I’ve been told by people in the industry that mountain biking is dead, and only road riding exists these days. I’ve actually been told that. I think what has actually happened is that cycling is much much bigger, and mountain biking has grown within that. We live in the Peak District and we see a lot of sportives, but we also see a lot of people riding high-quality, expensive mountain bikes. Go along to Cannock Chase on a weekend – the overflow car parks are full, the café can’t keep up with demand – and tell me that mountain biking’s dead.“
Do you have a favourite story from any past editions?
“When that lad Matt Page proposed to his girlfriend on the finish line – that was so cool!”
What makes Mayhem special?
“Our aim is to make all our competitors feel like they’ve achieved something. In a world where you can spend hours sitting in front of a computer, and you can ride a whole virtual Tour de France on a turbo trainer in your front room, there’s still room for a real challenge.”
What does the 19th edition hold?
“There are loads of family-friendly things to do this year. I’m starting to get people coming up to me and saying ‘You know what, you’ve been going nearly 20 years, my kids weren’t born when I did my first Mountain Mayhem!’ We’ve also got riders doing the event with their children. We’ve always had events like Mini Mayhem, and the Pyjama Run for kids, but there are new things like a climbing wall, which is thanks to our sponsors Go Outdoors.”.
You’ve been at Gatcombe Park since 2013 – do you think the event will stay there?
“Yes. Our relationship with the Royals is extremely pleasurable, and they’re extremely supportive [Gatcombe Park is the home of Princess Anne and her family]. We’re really happy with the course there. It’s a course that’s challenging for first timers but also raceable for the more experienced riders.”
The mud at previous Mountain Mayhems was a big part of the event’s reputation…
“The mud was all part of it, but you can only put people through that for so many years! The new venue is much more weather resistant because it’s on strata of rock.”
You make a point of standing on the finish line and shaking every competitor’s hand. Has that been a feature since the first one?
“That came about because I was so happy to pull the event off the first year. So happy, and so lucky! I had absolutely no experience! But I learned quickly. I was so happy I said to myself, ‘by God, I’m going to shake everyone’s hand’.”
Next year is the 20th edition – anything special planned?
“We’re announcing the date for the 20th Mountain Mayhem at this year’s event, and yes there will be a couple of things. We’re hoping to bring back all the Mayhemmers who’ve taken part in the earlier editions. But I can’t give away too much yet. We’ll be announcing more details at this year’s edition, so you’ll just have to come along.”
I’ve done the last few Mayhems and absolutely loved them. Booked in for this year and can’t wait! Highly recommended event.
OOooo, next year may be fun to ride a Mayhem again, last one I rode was 2004, two months after nearly dying with Pneumonia!
Over the past few years, Pat & Jill have become more friends to me than just colleagues.
Bloody good people, bloody good events!
That’s an old photo, Original Source sponsored it years ago…