Saturday, 20th June 2026
UK North – CYCLING UK ENTRIES
Venture into wild landscapes to ride the best scenic cycling roads in Scotland
Cycling UK Rider Plus+
Fundraising pledge for a discounted entry price
Ride Plus+ registration inc Meals, Jersey / Gilet, Bag service, minimum fundraising required.
CYCLING UK FUNDRAISER PLACES – SAVE £80
£89 £169
+ £6.71 booking fees
Includes (same as Ride Plus+):
- Everything from Just Ride entry – plus…
- Official CTS rider Jersey or Gilet (your choice)
- Lunch hot meal en-route
- Celebration dinner at the finish line
- Baggage transfer service
- Cycling UK fundraising advice & support
- Minimum fundraiing pledge of £300
Please note Chase The Sun North registrations are completed via our third party booking system, with payment collected through Stripe payments, both services attract additional booking and payment fees as noted against the pricing listed. Cancellations and refunds, may be available for a limited period, subject to separate admin fee, please view our refunds and cancellation policy here
What’s Included – RidePlus+ package registration
Chase the Sun Jersey / Gilet
Lightweight summer jersey, or windproof outer-layer Gilet? RidePlus+ entry includes your choice of these exclusive limited edition Chase The Sun rider kit items. Bespoke premium kit from supplier Stolen Goat, tailored for long-distance rides. Available in a full range of both men’s and women’s sizes. View Jerseys / Gilets
Baggage Transfer
Helping you travel light on the road – RidePlus+ entry includes complimentary Bag transfer for your non-riding overnight items in a (small) rucksack. Drop off your bag at the official BagVan at the start-line pre-sunrise, and it will be waiting for you to collect again on your arrival at the finish-line venue HQ.
Rider’s Meals
Meeting and eating with fellow riders is part of an enjoyable Chase The Sun adventure. RidePlus+ entry package includes a lunch meal en-route at the designated lunch stop. As well as a hearty hot-meal awaiting your arrival at the finish line, where you can relax and recover as you celebrate the sunset.
04:27
Sunrise Start
22:05
sunset Finish
3200m
Elevation
200
Miles
The Route
Cycle 200 miles through breathtaking landscapes and quiet roads from the beachfront at Whitley Bay at the first ray of sunrise, to the esplanade at Ayr to witness the (hopefully glorious) sunsetting into the sea beside the Isle of Arran. Chase The Sun UK North is an epic coast to coast cycling challenge Northern England and Scotland full of stunning vistas, wilderness, heaths, rivers, lochs, castles and beaches.
Book Return Travel ON SUNDAY
Sunday return coach from finish locations
We can now offer you the optional extra of bike and personal transport services returning from the ride finish locations. A coach and dedicated bike transport trailer will ensure your return travel after the event day is convenient and effortless.
Departing on Sunday morning from the Finish location (or nearby hotel), tarvel back to the Start location.
PRICES FROM £109.95 PER PERSON & BIKE (early booking)
To purchase (event participants only) – Use your ‘ MANAGE MY BOOKING ‘ link provided within your entry booking confirmation email & select ADD A PRODUCT to select the coach return on Sunday.
Rider Information
In principle, riders should plan to ride un-supported, this is part of the challenge! Carry all the essentials for safety, sustenance, repair and navigation with you. The routes are not signed or way-marked, navigation is a key test for a successful Chase the Sun. Detailed route maps, timings and guidance will be issued to riders around a month prior to the event, plus downloadable GPX route files.
Training & Preparation
We support you every step of the way! Training and Preparation are essential for success so we offer registered riders a range of expert advice in the preceeding months pre-ride. Also check out our Training & Advice page for tips on planning your ride and our preparation checklist.
Support volunteers
There will be no official ‘broom wagon’ or en-route support this cycling challenge. So although not at all essential, it is permitted for non-riding family and friends to join in the weekend epic adventure. You can drive (not along the route!) to certain mapped locations to meet riders and provide encouragement and supplies if required. Please help all riders where you can, it’s in the spirit of the ride.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Please first check out the FAQ’s section below… or if requiring other inforomation, please email us below…
Itinerary
Route Start
Whitley Bay, NE26 1BG
04:27 sunrise at The Spanish City Plaza, Promenade.
Route Finish
Ayr, KA7 1DT
22:05 sunset at Ayr Pavillion, Seafront Esplanade.
Frequently Asked Questions
We now offer a range of registration options to suit different riders’ budgets. All focus on providing great value and services. Chase the Sun is a small independent organisation, supported by partners, donations and by your participation as riders. Many volunteers work hard to produce these epic events for your enjoyment and inspiration to ride.
Click here to see our range of Registration Options including our ‘All-In accommodation packages’ where we organise everything for you! Check them out!
The finish is 200+ miles from the start, The Ayr Pavillion, (with a restaurant & bar), Esplanade, Ayr KA9 1DT.
Coast to coast riders must SIGN-IN with finishline staff to confirm have finished either before or after sunset.
Yes, once you have registered to ride you will then in future be emailed a link (closer to the date of the ride) to be able to access all the finalised downloadable content for the ride. This is usually released in the late spring.
That’s entirely up to you. Good advice is to make sure that between 2 or 3 weeks before you have ridden at least 2/3rds of the total distance, (130 miles). The adrenaline on the day should help you ride the rest of the way. There is further advice about training for this coast to coast challenge here:
The honest answer is it is a bit hilly, yes. It’s nothing too dramatic, (but the scenery is). Remember, what goes up, then comes down again!
There is only one ‘official’ stop, that’s at the half way point, riders must again SIGN-IN with event staff at this mandatory checkpoint at the Buccleuch Centre Cafe, Langholm, (DG13 0AW).
This is the official Lunch stop, where you will also be able to make use of the cafe to grab some lunch as the friendly team open up the kitchen with a special quick grab & eat menu for riders on the day.
Yes and no. We do have designated arranged Breakfast and Lunch stops. But in principle Chase The Sun remains a ‘do it yourself’ adventure ride.
There are a mix of mapped local shops and stops along the way to provide you many options to feed and water yourself as you go. We do have a few great bike shops that will help you along the way, some of them with cakes and coffee, who will provide you with technical support too. There are several friendly local community halls and pubs that we like to support with our riders providing some business and meeting locals along the route, too.
You can arrange your own support from friends or family, (if you want/need it). If you are looking to collaborate with other riders, use the Facebook page to speak to other riders and arrange it between yourselves. But pre-arranged support is not essential – trust us, this event works on community spirit—it has encouraged fellow riders to befriend, support and help each other each other along the way to reach sunsets together for over 15 years!
We do have a organisers tail vehicle follwing the later riders, but this is not a transport vehicle, and is for safety and advice, not offering lifts. If you drop-out of the ride it is for you to find transport for your way back home, or onward to the finish location hotels.
Important: Please note that for all rider’s safety, any riders unofficial support vehicles must not drive along the route, and use alternative roads to reach mapped checkpoints.
We require riders to come adequately and safely prepared for undertaking the event. It is dark in the lead up to the start, lights are recommended for the early daybreak hours. Hopefully, you may not need them at the end as you hope to be arriving before sunset, however, it’s always best to carry a set just in case! Don’t forget that you are responsible for your own safety and welfare—we can just advise.
Again, that’s up to you. Some riders will ride home, (seriously)! A few riders may head straight home from the finish. Most riders have booked a hotel for the night in Ayr and then go home the following day.
Depending on demand, we will be offering a return transfer minibus/coach service for riders and bikes from Ayr back to Whitley Bay. This will run on Sunday morning. Refer toour travel logistics services.
Yes – Long term Parking at Whitley Bay is available, subject to capacity, please ask at the event HQ on Friday evening for details. It will cover you from Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime, (and the return of the minibus transfer – see above).
It’s a ride, not a race. So no one knows, and we don’t care. It’s not about speed, its about experience. Those riders and groups who only ‘just’ make it in time to see the sunset are the days biggest winners, who have the best memories to celebrate.
Everyone gets a record. If you get there before sunset, you will get your name on the list of achievers on the website. If you get there after sunset, you will get your name of the finishers list. If you didn’t finish this time, you will get your endeavours recognised for valiant attempts. It’s about challenge, achievement and a sense of camaraderie, it’s not about racing.
Chase The Sun was originally an idea ridden by Olly Moore back in 2008. Olly still directs and organises the annual events, helped by various collaborators. Our ride location teams on the ground include reps and several dedicated volunteers. We are indebted to Phil Webb, Simon Steggles, Adam Cartwright, Richard Cartwright, and Ian Slack for all their enthusiasm and efforts over the years. All love cycling. All are inspired to help others Chase The Sun. Thankyou.
If you would like to volunteer to help with a Chase The Sun event or service, then please do get in touch by email at chasethesun.org@gmail.com
Yes and we encourage all those interested in the ride to like and share to help spread the word about CTS.
Facebook
Instagram
Please hashtag #ChaseTheSunCycle in all posts.
The more posts, Tweets, Images we get out there, the more people can find out about the ride, which means that even more people will get an opportunity to train, enjoy and achieve the Chase the Sun feeling.
Need to amend your 2026 registration?
To do so – You can use your unique link to ‘ MANAGE MY BOOKING ‘ which is provided within your original entry booking confirmation email.
Login to your account to:
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