Cycle Race - Sunday 25th May 2025

On Sunday 25th May 2025, Reading Cycling Club are organising two Cycle Road Races on a circuit between Binfield, Shurlock Row and Hurst. The map of the circuit is attached.

There will be one race in the morning, and one in the afternoon, each of approximately two hours duration, and involving 8 or 9 laps of the circuit with a maximum field of 60 riders in each race.  The event Headquarters will be at Binfield Football Club.

This event is non-commercial, not for profit, and run entirely by volunteers from Reading CC and the Central Division of British Cycling.  The races are organised under the Technical Regulations of British Cycling, part of which includes advance notification of potentially affected parties, such as local councils, businesses, and permission from the Police. 

We expect the impact on local residents and businesses to be very minimal, and at most it would be just a delay of a few minutes to a journey on a Sunday morning.

Safety of the general public, competitors and race officials is the main consideration in running such an event.  To this end, the race is preceded by a small safety convoy of motorcycle riders and cars, with signage and flashing beacons to warn oncoming traffic of the approaching race.  The race circuit is anti-clockwise with three road junctions, and these junctions will be controlled by British Cycling Accredited Marshals, who have the legal power to stop traffic (using a STOP sign much like at a school crossing). These Marshals will stop traffic at the junctions on the approach of the race on each lap, to allow the safe passage of the riders and race convoy, and will allow traffic to flow normally once the race has passed. This usually takes a maximum of a couple of minutes.  Additional warning signs will be displayed in various places where traffic can turn onto the course. The competitors will have a full safety briefing before the race, are instructed to follow all rules of the road, and any competitor seen not to be doing so can be removed from the race by the British Cycling Commissaires.

All the event signage will be removed on the day of the event, following the completion of racing.

We would appreciate the understanding of local residents if they encounter the race, to act safely at all times.  We also encourage and welcome people to come along and spectate at the roadside, perhaps come out with a picnic and cheer the riders on. 

If there are any questions, please direct them to roadraceorganiser@readingcyclingclub.org