Solstice Super Sprint | Unsupported Cycling Trial
Five hundred unsupported kilometres through the height of summer, following its own route from Warwick and back. Shorter than the Sprint but deliberately sharper, it compresses the long-day experience into a trial where time is harder to give away.
500KM of intent
The Summer Solstice
The summer solstice marks the height of the year, when Britain reaches its longest hours of daylight and darkness is pushed to the edges of the night. The Super Sprint begins as the year reaches that turning point, placing riders on the road through the longest daylight of the year.
Five hundred kilometres turns that light into something practical. It extends the road ahead, changes when riders choose to stop and gives ambitious plans room to grow. But daylight is only an opportunity. How much of it is used, and what remains when darkness eventually arrives, is decided on the road.
About this trial
The Super Sprint takes the longest days of the year and compresses them into 500km. From Warwick, riders follow a fixed route through the Cotswolds, the Black Mountains and Wiltshire before turning back towards HQ. The shorter distance changes the rhythm: decisions arrive sooner, stops carry more weight and momentum matters from the outset.
Long summer light gives riders more road to work with, but it does not remove the need for judgement. How hard to push, where to recover and when to keep moving all shape what remains possible. Five hundred kilometres is enough for the trial to change character, but short enough that the consequences of each decision stay close.
- Series role
- Summer companion · Standalone trial
- Current edition
- 2027 edition
- Trial date
- 19th June, 2027
- Distance
- 500KM
- Location
- Warwick, Warwickshire
- Format
- Fixed Route
- Entry fee
- £120
- Entry status
- Availability via Eventrac
Trial entry
2027 edition takes place on 19th June, 2027. Entry costs £120. Current entry status: Availability via Eventrac. Eventrac, Solstice Series' booking partner, handles availability, rider details and payment.
What’s included
- Curated 500km fixed route
- GPX route file
- Live Follow My Challenge rider tracking
- Rider registration and pre-trial briefing
- Welcome meal at HQ
- HQ start and finish
- Bag drop, showers and water refills at HQ
- Hand-designed take-home route map by Nicky Shaw
- Signature Solstice Series cycling cap
- Completion recorded in the Series archive
- Fast-track access to Solstice Sprint entry after successful completion
Trial format
- 500km fixed-route trial
- Five-day completion window
- Staffed HQ until Monday afternoon
- Self-finish available after staffed HQ closes
- Route must be followed from start to finish
- Self-navigated throughout
- Unsupported between publicly available commercial services
- Female Solo, Male Solo and Pairs classifications
- Trial Pass for completing the prescribed route within five days
- Riders manage their own navigation, food, water and sleep
The 2027 Route
The Super Sprint follows its own 500km route from Warwick and back, carrying riders west through the Cotswolds towards the Black Mountains before turning east through Wiltshire and back towards HQ. The current 2027 draft follows the established shape of the Super Sprint route, although individual checkpoints may still change as final route checks are completed.
The route is fixed once issued. Riders receive the final GPX before the trial and must follow it from start to finish, visiting the published checkpoints along the way.
The current route plan includes landmarks such as Hereford Cathedral, Gospel Pass and Avebury Stone Circle, with the final checkpoint list confirmed before the trial.
Trial schedule
- Friday 18 June · 1600H
- HQ opens and rider check-in begins
- Friday 18 June · 1700H
- Kitchen opens for the welcome evening meal
- Friday 18 June · 2100H
- Evening check-in closes and HQ closes for the night
- Saturday 19 June · 0600H
- HQ reopens and morning check-in begins
- Saturday 19 June · 0730H
- Morning check-in closes
- Saturday 19 June · 0745H
- Final start-line briefing
- Saturday 19 June · 0800H–0808H
- The field departs in staggered waves
- Saturday 19 June onwards
- Follow My Challenge tracking remains active throughout the trial
- Monday 21 June · 1600H
- Staffed HQ closes. The trial remains open and self-finish begins.
- Thursday 24 June · from 0800H
- Five-day completion window closes according to each rider’s individual start time
Gallery
- Rider on an open mountain road with sheep grazing in the foreground (2024)
- Rider climbing a winding lane through golden summer hillsides (2024)
- Rider climbing toward camera with mountain valley behind (2024)
- Rider navigating a sweeping hillside road under a clear blue sky (2024)
- Smiling rider climbing a steep lane with green hills rolling behind (2024)
- Rider descending a gravel pass past a wild mountain pony (2024)
- Rider in pink kit navigating a sharp bend on a gravel descent (2024)
- Three riders climbing a narrow lane through open moorland (2024)
- Rider framed through a gate with rolling green valleys ahead (2024)
- Rider passing through a gate as sheep scatter across the moorland (2024)
Community media
Stories from the Super Sprint will be added here as the trial develops.
Common questions
How does the Super Sprint differ from the Sprint?
The Solstice Super Sprint is a standalone 500km summer trial with its own fixed route, while the Solstice Sprint covers approximately 1000km and forms one of the four core Solstice Series trials. The Super Sprint can be entered and completed in its own right, but it does not count towards passage to the Perseids Prime.
Is it the same route as the Sprint?
No. The Super Sprint follows its own 500km route from Warwick and back. The current 2027 route plan travels through the Cotswolds, the Black Mountains and Wiltshire, although individual checkpoints may change before the final route is issued.
Is the route fixed?
Yes. Riders receive the final GPX before the trial and must follow the prescribed route from start to finish. If a rider leaves the route, they must return to the point of deviation before continuing.
When is the final route released?
The route is developed and checked in the lead-up to each edition. More detail may be published as the 2027 route is finalised, while registered riders will receive the final GPX and checkpoint information before the trial.
What is the time limit?
Each rider has five days from their individual start time to complete the prescribed route. The field departs in staggered waves between 08:00 and 08:08 on Saturday 19 June, so the completion window closes at the corresponding time on Thursday 24 June.
What is a Trial Pass?
A Trial Pass is earned by completing the prescribed Super Sprint route within five days of the rider’s individual start time. Completion is recorded in the Series archive, but the Super Sprint is a standalone companion trial and does not count towards passage to the Perseids Prime.
What happens when staffed HQ closes?
Staffed HQ remains open until 16:00 on Monday 21 June. The Super Sprint remains open for the full five-day completion window. Riders finishing after staffed HQ closes complete the route and finish at HQ as normal, with their arrival recorded through their Follow My Challenge tracker. Where possible, a member of the HQ team may meet later finishers, but this is not guaranteed.
What happens to my tracker and belongings if I finish after HQ closes?
Riders finishing after staffed HQ closes return their Follow My Challenge tracker by post using the instructions provided by the organiser. Any bag left at HQ, together with the rider’s take-home route map where applicable, will be posted to them after the trial.
Does completing the Super Sprint give me access to the Solstice Sprint?
Successful Super Sprint finishers receive a fast-track entry link for the Solstice Sprint one week before general entry opens.
Is the trial supported?
No. The Super Sprint is unsupported. There are no organiser feed stations, following support vehicles or private support crew along the route. Riders are responsible for their own navigation, food, water, sleep and onward decisions. Publicly available commercial services such as shops, cafés, hotels and petrol stations may be used.
Is there live tracking?
Yes. Riders carry a Follow My Challenge tracker throughout the Super Sprint, allowing their progress to be followed for the full five-day completion window. The tracker must remain with the rider throughout their attempt.
Can I ride solo or as a pair?
Yes. There are three classifications: Female Solo, Male Solo and Pairs. Riders entering as a pair must remain together throughout the trial and complete the route and finish together.
What equipment is mandatory?
Hi-vis, a foil blanket, bike lights, a helmet and a charged mobile phone are mandatory. This is the minimum required personal safety equipment. Riders are responsible for carrying any additional clothing, food, drink, tools, navigation equipment and spares they judge necessary for a 500km unsupported journey. The supplied Follow My Challenge tracker is required throughout the attempt but should not be presented as part of the rider’s personal mandatory-equipment list.
Is insurance required?
Yes. All riders must hold valid third-party public liability insurance and provide proof at registration. A minimum of £1 million cover is recommended. Riders are responsible for confirming that their policy covers participation in the trial.
What bike is suitable?
Any roadworthy, non-motorised bicycle may be used. The Super Sprint follows an all-road route over approximately 500km, so riders should choose a bicycle they are comfortable riding for long periods across varied terrain.
What happens if I scratch?
Notify the organiser as soon as possible using the contact details provided at briefing. Riders who scratch are responsible for making their own safe onward arrangements and returning their Follow My Challenge tracker as instructed.
Are entries refundable?
Entry fees are non-refundable unless the trial is cancelled by the organiser. If the trial is cancelled, riders will be offered a transfer to the next available trial date or a full refund. Entries are personal and non-transferable unless expressly permitted by the organiser. Full details are set out in the Terms & Conditions.
Where this trial fits
Solstice Super Sprint is a standalone summer companion. It is not one of the four core trials and does not count towards passage to Perseids Prime. Explore Solstice Sprint, the core summer trial.