Red Kite Ride 2018
Entries are open for the Marlow Red Kite Ride 2018, which will take place on Sunday 2nd September. To enter, click here or on the Enter button.
Video of the Start 2017
Routes for 2018
The Red Kite Ride (RKR) sportive gives you a taster of the Chilterns, a top UK cycling destination. Beautiful rolling countryside, home to the graceful Red Kite, provides challenging climbs rewarded with sweeping descents.
In 2017 we were featured in Cycling Weeky’s Best Sportives near London
For 2018 we have routes across three distances, 50, 80 and 100 miles, each with well stocked feed stations and toilet facilities. All routes take you through quintessential old English villages and countryside, filming locations for Midsomer Murders, Vicar of Dibley, Lewis, Miss Marple, Jonathan Creek.
Riders cross the River Thames twice, passing the finish line of the internationally renowned Henley Royal Regatta, and again at the end of the ride as they return to Marlow across the iconic Grade I listed Marlow Bridge.
50 mile course – one feed station
Perfect for first timers, two challenging but achievable climbs with enjoyable descents and plenty of beautiful rolling countryside.
80 mile course – two feed stations
All the attractions of the 50 mile course with the added challenge of a loop of the rolling Oxfordshire Plain with its many picturesque villages.
100 mile course – three feed stations
Ideal for those looking to break the ‘century’ for the first time as well as those looking to enjoy a day out in the Chilterns. The 100 mile route visits many of the same points of interest as the 50 and 80 mile routes, plus the stunning grounds of Eythrope – the last of the Buckinghamshire Rothschild houses to remain in Rothschild hands.
All routes start and finish at the Marlow Sports Club. Finishers receive a rider gift which provides an unusual and practical memento of the day. There will be a range of refreshments and a barbeque where friends and family can cheer the intrepid riders as they return.
Riding for charity
The Red Kite Ride has so far raised over £40,000 for charitable causes in the six years that it has run. Our headline charity for 2018 is Marlow Wheels for All, a fabulous initiative based at Bisham Abbey. A nationally recognised programme it provides cycling for children and adults with disabilities and differing needs, using adapted cycles.
We do not expect you to raise sponsorship, although you may wish to do so, either for our chosen charity or for your own choice. If you would like to give an extra donation you will have the opportunity to do so when you enter. This has the added advantage that the charity can claim a tax refund using the ‘give as you earn’ scheme.
The entry fee for 2018 is £30, and for this you get:
- Three great routes with clear signage and marshals at key stages
- Well stocked feed stations and toilet facilities
- Full electronic timing
- Free parking nearby
- Event village with food, drink and entertainment, so you can relax and celebrate at the end of the ride with friends and loved ones
- Routes available for GPS systems
- A rider gift for all finishers
- All proceeds to charity
The sportive is not a race. It is a personal challenge to complete the course and do the best you can. Riders must wear a helmet and follow the Highway Code at all times.
We will send a full briefing pack by email to all entrants about a week before the event.
Start times
The start for each route is open for a set period and riders can start at any time during that period. For safety, we send riders off in groups roughly 2 minutes apart.
100 miles – start time: 7:30 to 8:30
80 miles – start time: 8:00 to 9:30
50 miles – start time: 8:30 to 10:00
About Wheels for All
The Wheels for All initiative is a nationally recognised programme that embraces all children and adults with disabilities and differing needs, to engage in a quality cycling activity. By using specially adapted cycles, the activities are both physically and mentally stimulating and above all fun for everyone involved.
The Red Kite Ride supports the local branch based at the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey, where they run events on Saturdays from Spring to Autumn between 11am and 2pm.
More info: http://cycling.org.uk/wheels-for-all/
For a blow by blow account of the fun we had at last years Red Kite Ride, check out our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/marlowredkiteride
Photos
Photos of last year’s event are available from SportivePhoto.
Marlow Riders
The Red Kite Ride is hosted and run by Marlow Riders. For more information about Marlow Riders visit our website: www.marlowriders.org.uk