Event organiser Stacey George said rain had helped firm up the course for racing, which starts tomorrow. 

However, fears of excess rain were quickly done away with as the weather at Tathra had cleared by Thursday. 

“The track has improved because it has stopped raining, but the rain did help to settle things,” George said. 

“We are out at the moment putting the finishing touches on the course and checking for any dangers. 

“We haven’t encountered anything that we are overly worried about.”

Good numbers of entries are expected, including a few high-profile riders, George said. 

“Brendan ‘Trekky’ Johnston is signed on for the event. 

“He represented Australia in mountain bike riding and has competed in events around the country. 

“That’s a good entry to have, for the people that really like racing hard, he will be a front-runner.”

Johnston is massive on the mountain bike racing scene and is an advocate for testicular cancer awareness. 

He is a member of the Australian mountain-biking team and will almost unbeatable during Sunday’s endurance race. 

“You really appreciate how fast these guys are,” George said. 

“They do 100k in four or five hours, it knocks your socks off.

“Riders like Johnston just go out there and have a whole new level of fitness, their skill level is incredible.

“It will be good for the locals to see riders like him in action.”

Meanwhile, organisers are urging that everyone has checked over their own gear to decrease hassles come race time. 

“Pump up the tyres and make sure everything is running smooth. 

“Make sure you have spare tubes and check everything is running well, the last thing you want is to have a flat [tyre] and have to walk back to home base. 

“We encourage people to give everything a once-over.”

People should also ensure their helmets fit snuggly and the straps are tight as safety is paramount during the weekend. 

Numbers are on par with previous years, but organisers are still expecting a flurry of last minute entries. 

“Online booking has closed, but you will still be able to enter at the Country Club [tomorrow]. 

“However, there will be an excess charged on anyone wishing to ride in the big events. 

“There will be no excess on our new ‘have-a-go’ events, we’re trying to encourage people in to the sport.”

Junior and have-a-go events will run tomorrow between 1pm and 5pm. 

Meanwhile, the Tuff 20km, 50km and 100km events will all run on Sunday. 

The King Nelba 100km launch will start the day at 8.30am after late registrations and a race briefing. 

More information can be found online at www.mountainbiking.com.au or visit the Tathra MTB Enduro facebook page.