AI quick summary
- RideLondon is the UK's largest closed-road cycling event, born from the 2012 Olympics and held annually in late May.
- The flagship 100-mile sportive starts in central London and rolls out through Essex countryside, with around 1,500 to 1,800 m of climbing depending on the year.
- A traffic-free Freeride in central London is open to families and newer riders — no entry fee, no timing.
- Ballot entry opens in autumn and is heavily oversubscribed; charity places are the most reliable route in.
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What is RideLondon?
RideLondon was created in 2013 as an Olympic legacy event, modelled on the London Marathon — a mass-participation cycling festival that would close roads across London and the surrounding countryside for a single day each summer. The first edition attracted 65,000 riders; recent editions have hosted over 100,000 across all distances.
Originally run by the London Marathon and Surrey County Council, the event reorganised in 2022 after Surrey withdrew support. It now runs as RideLondon-Essex, with routes heading into Essex rather than the Surrey Hills, although the closed-roads, festival atmosphere is unchanged.
The event also includes a professional women's one-day race — RideLondon Classique, part of the UCI Women's WorldTour — giving amateur riders the chance to ride the same closed roads as the world's best female pros on the same weekend.
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The event line-up
RideLondon runs several events across the weekend. The exact shape has evolved but typically includes the following distances:
RideLondon event distances
| Event | Distance | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| RideLondon-Essex 100 | 100 miles (160 km) | Experienced sportive riders |
| RideLondon-Essex 60 | 60 miles (97 km) | Regular club riders |
| RideLondon-Essex 30 | 30 miles (48 km) | Newer and returning riders |
| Freeride | 6 miles (10 km) | Families, children, first-timers |
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How to get a place
The 100-mile event is heavily oversubscribed. The main routes in are the ballot — which opens in October or November for the following May's event, with roughly one in three applicants getting a place — and charity places, where charities buy guaranteed entries in exchange for a fundraising commitment of typically £500 to £750.
Charity places are the most reliable route in and the reason RideLondon raises millions for good causes each year. The 30- and 60-mile events are usually direct-entry: register and you are in. The Freeride is turn-up-and-ride on the day, no entry required.
If you miss the ballot, start looking at charity places in January. Popular charities fill their allocations quickly, so contact several and pick the cause you most want to support.
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The 100-mile route: what to expect
The ride starts in waves from central London — typically on the Embankment near Victoria — and rolls out through the city before opening up into the Essex countryside. Closed roads the whole way mean you can ride gutter-to-ditcher without worrying about traffic, which is a rare and wonderful experience in southern England.
The course is rolling rather than mountainous. The old Surrey route featured Leith Hill, Box Hill and Newlands Corner for around 1,800 m of climbing. The newer Essex route is gentler but still has pinchy climbs that add up over 100 miles.
Pacing matters more than raw fitness. Many first-timers go off too hard in the excitement of the first 30 km and pay for it in the last 20. Aim to start at a pace you could hold all day and you will almost certainly bank a strong finishing time.
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Practical tips
Sign up for the ballot the day it opens — set a reminder for late October. If you miss out, look at charity places early in the new year; popular charities fill their allocations within weeks.
Train specifically for distance rather than intensity. RideLondon rewards time in the saddle over winter base miles; if you can comfortably ride 70 miles by early May, you will complete the 100.
Rehearse your nutrition in training, not on the day. The feed stations are excellent but they are not magic — eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty.
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