Organisers of the Exmoor Beast, one of the toughest sportives on the calendar, have issued a call for entries ahead of the 2012 event.

The Beast will take place on Sunday October 28, offering 100km and 100-mile routes through Exmoor National Park.

“Staging a sportive over such demanding terrain, with winter lurking just around the corner, is always going to be supremely challenging, but it’s the combination of elements that make The Beast a genuine candidate for classic status,” said event organiser Marcus Di Vincenzo.

“With sections of the route through Exmoor’s National Park comparable to some of those encountered in Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, our sportive is often made more testing by the generally prevailing climatic conditions.

“However, an Indian-summer at the event’s inaugural edition is testament that the weather, at that time of year, is not always inclement. However, the sense of achievement is always massive in arduous conditions, as they most certainly were in 2009, when the wind and rain could not have been much worse.”

Entry costs £27 for either route. More details at www.exmoorbeast.org