Gifford Road Races
A long running season opener to the Scottish Road Racing calendar, the Gifford Road Races have something for everyone - the best racers in Scotland and beyond, a race suitable for those starting out in road racing, and new for 2025 a specific women's race for all ages and levels. Enter the 2025 edition at the British Cycling website here. Discounted entries are available for students, juniors and women riders.
In 2025 there are three races:
- 10am - an open race over 4 laps of the 13km/8mile circuit (see below) - total distance 53km/33miles. This includes those new to racing, and a day licence can be bought on the day (but please enter the race as soon as possible to book your space.) More experienced category 3 and 4 racers are also welcome.
- 12 noon - women's race over 4 laps - total distance 53km/33miles. Again, this is a good starting point for those starting out. All categories of women can enter and there is no need to have a race licence as you can get a day licence on the day.
- 2pm - the main race for category E, 1, 2 & 3 riders - 120km/75miles. Who will win the first big race of the Scottish racing season? Last year it was Tom Martin of Wheelbase Castelli that took the honours after attacking from a long three strong breakaway.
Cash prizes to the top 6 in each race, with £100 to the winner of the main race. Plus first junior (those with their 17th or 18th birthday in the year), veteran (those turning 40 in the year, or older) and category prizes.
Starting out in Road Racing
Road racing can be a daunting sport to get into. To help, ERC will be running events in the lead up to the Gifford. This will be a chance to learn more about road racing, speak to experienced members of the club and to ride the course. For more details please get in touch with our RTTT Conveynor and/or Women's Officer - see the contacts page.
Volunteering
We can't run events without a small army of volunteers. This includes such roles as marshaling at a corner on the course, driving a car in the race convoy, to handing out numbers at sign-on, as well as more specialist jobs such as finish line and first aid. If you, or a friend or relative is able to help out at this or future events, please contact Jarlath, our volunteer coordinator for Gifford, and/or join our volunteers WhatsApp group. More details of how you can help are on our volunteering page - for those new to helping out then rest assured you'll be paired with someone more experienced .
Volunteering is fun way to help road races happen, but there will be food and hot drinks provided to volunteers, travel expenses can be claimed and ERC members even get volunteer points towards kit purchases. If you need transport to the race, then please speak to the volunteer co-ordinator about lift sharing, or riding out with other volunteers.
Race HQ
The race is based at the Gifford Village Hall, where sign-on will
be open a couple of hours before the race, and food will be provided
after each race, along with the results ceremony. Toilets and changing
facilities are available, although are likely to be busy in the lead up
to the race. More details on things such as timetable, parking and the start list will be provided in the rider pack in the week before the event.
The Course
The Gifford course is a varied 13km/8 mile loop along fairly quiet roads in the East Lothian countryside 40km/25miles east of Edinburgh. (Please note that the route will not be closed to traffic, but the event is marshalled with lead cars, motorcycle outriders and corner marshals and other officials to make sure that traffic is aware of our prescence and the event is as safe as possible.)
The race starts in Gifford village itself, outside of the hall with a mandatory rider race briefing normally 10 minutes before the start. There is then a short neutralised zone as the race route turns left towards the first uphill of the lap - Broun's hill. This isn't all that long, or steep, but it feels sore enough in the neutralised section, never mind at race speed, and there's a long false flat drag after the "top" at the right hand turn, that keeps you working. A long, straight descent of Cockles Brae leads to Cockles Corner. A sharp 90 degree left hand turn means some heavy braking beforehand - the best way to take it is to take it easy into the corner and get ready to sprint back to speed on the exit
A long straight first on the road to Haddington, which is often subject to crosswinds and echelons (keep to the left lane of the road though!), then onto a smaller backroad skirting past Lennoxlove estate that is more sheltered. A left turn onto the B6368 towards Bolton quickly sees the road climb again. This is a shorter, steeper climb that flattens out towards Bolton village - but this section is usually straight into a headwind, and is often the scene of a breakaway attempt, and so the effort levels may not let up much.
After Bolton, a left hand turn takes you onto the main section of the Bolton climb - a steep ramp before a right hander, then a long drag that gets steepest towards the final junction of the lap at Bolton woods crossroads. This isn't quite the top of the climb, which is just around the corner, but if you've made it to the corner in the group, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
The lap finishes with the rollers through Bolton woods - this can feel like a rollercoaster when you're feeling fresh - or neverending when you're not. The last of the ramps is the run to the finish line, which is on the crest of the hill by the golf course, but if it there is a lap counter displayed rather than the chequered flag it's then a left hand turn and a plunge down into Gifford to start another lap.
