Audax UK Events 2026 - 2027

An audax is a long-distance cycling event where the aim is to complete a set route within the allowed time, rather than race other riders for a finishing position. Routes include controls that you need to reach along the way, and you can usually ride at your own pace either alone or with other cyclists. Distances vary massively, starting from around 50km up to 1,000km or even more. The name ‘audax’ describes the style of the event, not a set distance.

An audax is a non-competitive challenge ride - it’s all about seeing what you’re capable of, not necessarily beating anybody else. There are time limits and controls you have to reach, but you’re free to set your own pace within those limits, and finishing faster doesn’t give you a higher placing. That makes the atmosphere quite different from a conventional cycling race. For many riders, the challenge is just covering the distance.

The amount of climbing varies massively from one event to another. The distance might give you an indication of how long you’ll be riding for, but it doesn’t tell you how difficult that ride will feel. Among the events currently on Find a Race, The UKCE Cotswolds Classic publishes 1,477m of climbing, while The UKCE Peaks Tour lists 2,600m. Other routes are described as hilly or undulating without giving a precise ascent figure. If climbing is likely to make or break your day, check the route profile for the event you’re interested in before you enter.

You can find UK audax events at different points in the year, although the Find a Race calendar is currently much fuller in late summer and autumn. There are particularly good numbers of rides showing in August and September, with fewer dates currently published further into next year.

Audax entry prices vary, just like the event distance. A straightforward one-day ride will often be inexpensive. Current day-event examples on Find a Race include Bike Chester and Bike Cotswold with entries beginning at £21.44. The much higher prices you may see on the calendar usually belong to different products, such as multi-day cycling packages, rather than a standard single-day audax entry.

You don’t need to be an experienced audax rider, but you should choose a distance and route that make sense for the riding you’ve already done. Audax UK suggests that someone who regularly rides with a club may find 200km a reasonable challenge, but jumping straight to that distance after only riding 60–80km can be a much bigger step. There’s also a big difference between routes. A ride with relatively modest climbing is a very different first audax from one with several thousand metres of ascent, so look beyond the headline distance when choosing where to start.