The duo completed the best part of 12 laps of the 10-kilometre trail in five hours on a day race director Jamie Vogele said was near-perfect for mountain bike riding.

They were the only team who rode for more than 100 kilometres.

It was the third round of the Hammer Endurance Series with the fourth and final round to be held at Kempsey this weekend.

“We got a millimetres of rain early Sunday morning before race start so we went ahead with it,” Vogele said.

“The first couple of laps were a little bit wet, but not enough to trash people’s bikes and it made it a bit of fun for them.

“It ended up perfect – hero dirt as they call it.

“I think everybody thought because we were getting a bit of rain it was going to be terrible, but it ended up being perfect.”

In the women’s division, Nambucca Heads rider Jemma Burtonwood covered the most ground with just under 100 kilometres (97) in the five-hour time limit.

Gloucester rider Sue Tripney currently leads the female series overall.

Wauchope’s Brad Leach won the male division with Chris Irish now taking the overall series lead heading into the final round.

Forty-one riders registered originally, but Vogele said that number was slightly down due to other events around the state.

“There was other major mountain-biking event down at Ourimbah that a lot of the people from down south went to,” he said.

“There was also the Northern Inland Cross Country Series just over the mountain where riders from Armidale and Dubbo all go to that.

“Our date unfortunately clashed with those events.”

Vogele also said having the third and fourth rounds of the series so close together also contributed to the smaller showing.

“It’s a week out from the last week of the series which is on this weekend so a lot of people can’t travel away both weekends,” he said.

“There are a few factors there, but the vibe of the actual event was that the riders were really keen to come back to that venue.

“Most of them who were there will be going to the last round of the series as well.”