12 months on: Brent Rees reflects on 2023 Marathon National Championships

It’s been almost 12 months since Brent Rees claimed his first national title, taking out the Marathon National Championships in Wagga Wagga in a thrilling three-up sprint.

But the 25-year-old from Inverell Mountain Bike Club remembers the race like it was yesterday.

After nearly four-and-a-half hours of racing of racing, Rees was joined by race favourites Tasman Nankervis and Brendan Johnston as they entered the Wagga Wagga velodrome for the final race to the finish line.

“The three of us got away on the last lap,” Rees recalls.

“After attacking in the single track with 5km to go and then being reeled in, the fatigue had set in. I was beginning to cramp and assumed either Brendan or Tasman would try to counter-attack before the velodrome, however they seemed content to take it to a sprint.

“I played to the fact they were the favourite riders and it worked out perfectly. They both wanted to lead into the velodrome, so I patiently sat on and attacked on instinct as I saw the inside line open up.”

Johnston led the trio around the back end of the velodrome, followed by Nankervis and Rees who was sitting on his wheel, before the trio launched their final attack to the line.

Rees timed his sprint to perfection and came up the inside to take honours on the line.

“Everything clicked,” Rees recalls of the day.

“It was incredible. I got into racing a little later than some of my peers and was playing catchup learning the aspects of mountain biking and the art of racing for a few years.

I had felt like I had underperformed in the past at the important races. I gained a lot of experience in my three months in Europe through 2022 and did a lot of racing leading into marathon national champs.

“Reece Tucknott and I had been racing in NZ and a few of those races came down to a sprint, so I think that sharpened my tactical experience.”

It’s been a challenging year for Rees since the victory, with the Queenslander taking time off the bike to deal with some ongoing health issues.

As a result, he won’t be at the start-line at Wagga come May 5 to defend his title.

“Sadly, I’ve had a very disrupted 11 months since XCM nationals in 2023 dealing with an autoimmune disease and some other health issues that continue to reoccur when I’m training hard and finally getting back into full fitness,” Rees said.

“After the most recent viral infection in Feb that has taken six-plus weeks to recover, I had to make the tough call to take a step away from racing and training for a few months to get to the bottom of everything once and for all.”

Despite the setbacks, Rees says he is finally getting some answers to his health issues that will allow him to get back to full health and eventually back into racing.

“It’s also been a great reminder as to why I got into racing and riding with friends. To be able to represent the National Champs jersey has been a dream come true and something I’ve appreciated every time I’ve worn it. Further, the unconditional support of my major sponsor's, Currumbin Cycles, Sram Australia and Cervelo Australia over the shaky year has been incredible,” Rees said.

Rees’ top tips for marathon national champs

Know your equipment

“With it being quite a long race with so much single track and lots of turning, it's crucial to make sure you get the most out of your equipment, in order to make your job the easiest it can be,” Rees says.

“I believe making a conscious effort to spend time on the mountain bike is also important. I think it’s easy for people to focus too much on the endurance side of the race and do majority of training on road bikes. Ultimately, they will have the power but not the skills to manage the effort, as well as the mental capacity to concentrate riding the mountain bike.”

Fuel, fuel, fuel

“Be aware of your nutrition strategy. Most elite riders have a great education these days of fuelling properly,” Rees adds.

“It can be difficult to get in fuel during a mountain bike race, so have a plan.”

One piece of advice that was passed on to Rees from his coach was “don’t finish a ride hungry or fatigued,” which has stuck with him.

“You can feel like you are cheating at the back end of the race if you fuel properly.”

2024 Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships

Location: Pomingalarna Reserve, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Dates: May 4-5, 2024
More information: 2024 Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships

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The 2024 Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships are proudly supported by City of Wagga Wagga.