Festival of Cycling
OCTOBER 2025 (Date TBC)
ALL NEW ROUTES FOR 2025
100k or 50k road, or 70k off-road – you decide! – along the rolling roads & tracks of South Leicestershire & Northamptonshire
We are delighted to announce that the Festival of Cycling is back for a 10th Year.
Race information
There are three distance options. Newly designed 100k and 50k road routes, plus a newly designed 70k off-road option suitable for cross and MTB. All routes take in some beautiful rolling roads and tracks throughout South Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
The road routes will be well signposted using yellow Cycle Route signs. They will also be marked on the ground in places using spray paint. GPX files for both routes will also be provided.
Cyclists riding the off-road route should be following the route on a device – a GPX file will be provided, as the off-road route will be only be marked, using black arrows, black and yellow tape and orange spray paint on the ground, to identify turns/navigation that may require more clarity than the GPX file provides. Please ensure you have a working light on your bike if riding the off-road route as you will be passing through Oxendon Tunnel.
Entries
Entries will open soon on Let’s Do This, and are priced at £35 for each route.
If you want to swap your entry distance you can do so by emailing info@raceharborough.co.uk any time up to a week before the event date. Entries, and transfer of entries, will close 2 days before the event.
Entry includes a hot meal post-ride. This year, the food served will be pizza. A vegan/gluten free option will be available. Hot and cold drinks will also be available to buy at the finish.
E-Bikes
E-bikes are permitted, but as the event is insured by British Cycling we need to conform to their guidelines which are as follows.
Electric bikes (e-bikes) are permitted provided that they comply with The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 SI 1983/1168
Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPCs) – any electric bike that meets the following requirements:
- The bike must have pedals that can be used to propel it
- The electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it is travelling more than 25kph / 15.5mph
- The motor should not have a maximum power output of more than 250 watts
It must also display one item from each of the following:
- The power output or manufacturer of the motor
- The battery’s voltage or maximum speed of the bike
Any form of e-bike that does not comply with the above (eg, ones with a “twist & go” throttle) are not permitted.
Start time/location
Riders can start from 08:00.
Ride HQ: There will be a new Ride HQ for 2025, in the vicinity of Market Harborough – more details to follow shortly.
The routes
Routes for the 2025 event will be posted here in due course, along with the GPX files.
All routes for 2024 event are available below, if you’d like to try them out!
To download the GPX file for a route, please select ‘View Full Version‘, then use the ‘More‘ button and select ‘Export as File’ to download the GPX Track FIle.
On-course support
As with all Race Harborough events, there will be professional first aid on hand at the start and finish with the ability to access cyclists on the routes.
There will be one feed station on the road routes at approximately 50k/25k. The off-road route will have one at 44k. There will be a selection of food and hot & cold drinks options including both sweet and savoury treats, keeping sugar and salt levels topped up.
Prizes
All finishers will receive a bespoke event medal.
Free event photos!
As with all Race Harborough events – you don’t pay for your event pics! Free digital downloads of your event are available to download soon after the event finishes and we’ll announce their availability on our Facebook page.
Latest updates
For the latest updates about this and other Race Harborough events, please Like & Follow the Race Harborough Facebook page.