Red Kite Ride 2017
The Red Kite Ride 2017 is open for entries. Please click the ‘Enter’ button to enter
Featured in Cycling Weekly’s Best Sportives near London, the Red Kite Ride this year takes place on Sunday 3rd September 2017.
New Routes for 2017
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.
All routes start and finish at the Marlow Sports Club. Marlow is West of London and in easy reach of the M4 and M40. More details of the location are on the Location page.
For 2017 we have new 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) and pass Cobstone Windmill featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
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. Finishers receive a medal and goodie bag. There will be a range of refreshments and a barbecue where friends and family can cheer the intrepid riders as they return.
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 – two 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) and, has not one, but two windmills!
Riding for charity
The Red Kite Ride has so far raised £34,000 for charitable causes in the five years that it has run. Our chosen charity for 2017 is the Marlow Sports Club (MSC), home to Marlow Riders. Saved from development only a few short years ago, a donation from the Red Kite Ride will make a significant contribution to the effort to safeguard local sporting facilities and to help to build a cycling community in Marlow for generations to come. We do not expect you to raise sponsorship, although you may wish to do so, either for MSC or for your own choice of charity. 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.
Entry Fee and features
The entry fee for 2017 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
- Medal and goodies 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
Photos
Photos of last year’s event are available from SportivePhoto.
Post-event massage from Drummond Clinic
The friendly massage team from Drummond will be based in the main event site and offer a massage for just £10, with all proceeds going to the event charity.
Based in Maidenhead, Drummond is a leading clinic focusing their skill set around preventing injury, preparing the body for the large training loads imposed across sport with the ultimate aim of increasing the performance levels of each individual that we see. In the unfortunate occurrence of an injury their clinical team are perfectly posed to rehabilitate each individual back to full fitness.
Come and meet the team at the Marlow Red Kite Ride, or if you are in need of immediate rehabilitative or preventative care visit the clinic in Maidenhead. www.drummondclinic.co.uk
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