RACE – £49
54.8km | 80m
Kids / Family Timed lap – FREE
14km | 20m
Route
54.8km | 80m
OVERVIEW
NEED TO KNOW
The route
accommodation
PACKING LIST
FAQs
THETFORD FOREST TROPHY: OVERVIEW
Part of the brand new Gravel Masters series of UK gravel races, join us in East Anglia for a fast & flat 14km circuit within the pine trees of Thetford Forest.
Finish your season with the flattest race of the year with 4 laps on a great mix of wide, gravel trails & some flowing singletrack where position will be crucial. Race against riders in your age cat for the chance to win the inaugural Thetford Forest Trophy.
Enjoy a great gravel cycling weekend with a sportive on the Sunday and a social race village in Thetford Forest. Bring the family, we open the route up from 12pm to 1.30pm for kids to take on a timed lap.
Women’s race & men over 60 – 9.30am start
Family timed laps – 12pm to 1.30pm
Men under 60 – 2pm start
Podium presentation – 4pm
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
- A fast & flat 14km loop on closed trails
- Race on a great mix of wide forest trails and winding singletrack
- Make a weekend of it & ride the sportive into Suffolk on the Sunday
KNOW BEFORE YOU RACE
tHE ROUTE
Set in Thetford Forest, this route starts near High Lodge and heads south over a 14km loop. The course takes in a mix of wide forest trails and some singletrack. The trails drain well here so should be in good condition for a season ending race.
THE WEEKEND
Stay over and ride a sportive on the Sunday on totally different trails exploring rural Suffolk.
TIMINGS ON THE DAY
There are two races on the day, women & men over 60 starting at 8.30am and a mens under 60 race at 2pm. The race village opens at 7.45am and there is a free family ride from 12pm to 1.30pm.
RIDE SUPPORT
There will be a mechanic stand at the start and then on each lap you will pass a feed & mechanic stop. There will also be a spares box on the course.
Included in Entry
Fully Signed Route
Our team work tirelessly to create the best gravel routes in the UK. All courses are fully signed so you can just enjoy the ride.
Checkpoints with Proper Food
An epic ride deserves proper support. We have tea, coffee and cake at the first feed and sandwiches & crisps at the main feed. Checkpoints are approx every 30 - 35km
Accurate GPX Files
A few days before the ride, we will send GPX files for all of the route options so you can follow the course on your GPS as well as the signs.
Mechanics Available
At the rider village & at selected feed stops we have mechanics available to help with any bike issues. We also have spare inner tubes, CO2 & more .
Rider Support Vans
We are here to make sure you have a great day on the gravel. If you have any major mechanicals or need collecting, support vehicles are a phone call away.
Beer at Finish Line
You will be greeted at the finish line with a beer & food available from our food truck. Perfect to chat about your day with fellow riders.
EVENT PROGRAM
20th Oct: Rider lists published and final route details sent out.
25th Oct – 7.45: Race village at High Lodge opens. Collect your ride number & test out the route before it closes at 9.15am
25th Oct – 9.15: Pens open for Women’s race & Men over 60
25th Oct – 9.45am – 11.45am: Women, Men age groups over 60 race.
25th Oct – 12pm – 1.30pm: Free family ride. Collect your ride number and see how fast you can get round the 14 course.
25th Oct – 1.30pm: Pens open for Men under 60
25th Oct – 2pm to 4pm: Men under 60 race.
25th Oct – 4pm: Podium presentations
THE ROUTE
Starting with a 600m straight gives riders enough time to fight for the front ahead of the 90 degree right turn.
The first section of singletrack comes 1km in, this is guaranteed to split the field with the 700m section twisting through the trees.
This is followed by 5km of fast and flat gravel, with some grassy and bumpy sections thrown in for good measure. The next singletrack section features some sandy berms along one of the High Lodge trails before a 600m wide open gravel track, a chance to gather yourself or put the power down and open the gap on your rivals.
The last two singletrack sections are fast and flowing before the final 2km of jostling for position into the turns before sprinting for the finish
Distance:
54.8km
Elevation:
80m
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
Our race is in Thetford Forest on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. There are several lovely villages nearby to stay for the weekend and Thetford is a nice market town with plenty of larger hotels & restaurants.
Hang around on Saturday to watch the race you aren’t involved in. There is plenty to do in the Forest including a cafe, Go Ape & disc golf.
On the Sunday we have a sportive – Suffolk Gravel X which starts & finishes in Thetford Forest and takes in different trails around the forest and then out into rural Suffolk.
ACCOMMODATION
Come for the race, stay for the warm local hospitality and beautiful countryside!
There are plenty of hotels & campsites in nearby Ruthin including:
Lyons Woodlands Hall Hotel & Caravan Park
GET IN TOUCH
Got any questions on this race, our race series or want to partner with us? Send us a message on the form and we will get back to you within 1 business day.
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: The route is designed for gravel bikes with 99% of the route being off road.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. The gravel is mostly smooth throughout so a fast rolling or all rounder 35mm to 40mm tyre should be ideal.
Packing List: There will be a mechanic / feed stop on each lap plus a spares box on route but please bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2).
Clothing: Likely to be fresh at this time of the year particularly early morning so layer up accordingly. Helmets are mandatory, you will not be able to ride without one.
FAQs
This route makes gravel racing accessible for anyone. At the front of the race we will have a good field of elite men & women racers but this would make a great first race due to the flat course and smooth gravel & singletrack.
Registration is open from 7.45am for the 9.30am race and from 12pm for the 2pm race.
You will also have some time to ride the course before pens open for the race.
The race starts near High Lodge (Thetford Forest, High Lodge, Brandon IP27 0AF). The nearest train station is Brandon, just over 3 miles away.
Parking at High Lodge is available for £5
There will be a spectator area within the race village where you can see riders go past each lap.
You can also stroll up 500m and catch the route twice, once at the start of the lap and another 3km in as the route snakes back.
High Lodge is a major tourist destination with lots to do for non-riders. If you are bringing kids that love cycling, make sure they bring their bike for the family laps from 12pm to 1.30pm or they can enjoy walking trails in the forest, Go Ape, archery, disc golf & more.