From a track built in the woods for his kid to a major international race with 1000 riders, Spanish summer enduro classic ‘Meringrades’, an enduro event with no stress on the competition element, opens up for international riders this August 3-4.

With the designation of the Asturian town as the European Village of Sport, the Spanish amateur enduro, Meringrades has been in touch with Enduro21 to say they are open to international riders this year to join 1000 others for a festive weekend of off-road without too much stress of competition.

The list of “go to” or must do” off-road events surely has to include this race, born of a dad making a track in the woods for his son, which has grown into a classic enduro.

Held in the municipality of Grado, recently designated as the European Village of Sport, the VII Meringrades Raid will be held on August 3 and 4, 2024, and will be the third event of the ‘TT Cup 4 Seasons’ series, a kind of enduro-for-all series welcoming all-comers.

Organised in collaboration with the Moto Club Tierra Astur, the Meringrades Raid plans a 45-kilometre route through the green and picturesque mountains of Grado.

Off-road for all levels

The event, like all those in the TT 4 Seasons Cup, is designed for all riders. The routes are entertaining, enduro-style and without any extreme difficulty for the enjoyment, prioritising safety, respect for the surroundings and care for the environment.

Rules are simple with participants needing to complete two or three laps depending on the category which stretches to 12 in total depending on motorcycle, age and gender of the participant plus a non-competitive category, called ‘Fun’.

All of this is supported by the Asturian and Spanish Motorcycle Federation, either for participants with an annual licence in progress or one processed specifically for the event.

Since its first editions, the event has maintained its original format with a timed section on Saturday after the reconnaissance lap and a race on Sunday. However, on this occasion, on Saturday afternoon there is a costume parade with prizes for the best and a ‘side by side’ Superenduro shootout.

Meringrades, much more than a great classic

Looking back, what began as a hobby for its creator José Ignacio Sainz, alias ‘Pan el de la boina amarilla’, who initially designed a route for his son and his friends to enjoy every summer. This grew until it became a fun race, gathering almost 1000 participants in the Merindades de Castilla, in a small town called Loma de Montija, in the province of Burgos.

Six years ago, due to environmental problems, the original location changed to a no less beautiful area in the north of Spain, Grado (Asturias), just 15 kilometres from Oviedo. This move caused the name of the event to be changed to the Raid MerinGrades, thus playing with the name of the municipality (Grado) and the name that gave rise to the event (Merindades).

Programme of the VII Meringrades Raid 2024

Friday, August 2:

17:00 - 20:30: Opening of the race office for the collection of bib numbers.

Saturday, August 3:

08:00 - 09:45: Collection of last bib numbers.

09:45: Briefing at the race office.

10:00 - 11:00: Reconnaissance lap.

11:00 - 14:00: Qualy Eurolloyd to establish the starting grids.

16:30 - 17:30: Opening of the parc fermé.

18:00: "Grado Riders" parade (costume parade).

19:00: Superenduro 'Side by Side'.

20:30 - 21:00: Opening of the parc fermé.

Sunday, August 4:

08:30: Opening of the parc fermé.

09:00: Departure of the first grid, with 2-minute intervals between each one.

15:00: Trophy presentation.

The Meringrades organisation has set July 30 as the deadline to register for the race, although it is usual for its 300 places to be sold out much earlier. So, if you don't want to miss this seventh edition, don't be afraid!

More information and entries: www.copatt4estaciones.com

Photo Credit: Artracing