Chase The Sun

Chase the Sun UK South riders cycling into the countryside

Saturday, 20th June 2026

UK South – CYCLING UK ENTRIES

Green pastures and charming villages on a diverse route celebrating England

LIMITED DISCOUNTED ENTRIES AVAILABLE FOR CYCLING UK FUNDRAISERS : SEE BELOW > >

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 fundraising pledge of £300

Please note Chase The Sun South 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

BOOK YOUR SEAT – Return Travel services on Sunday from Weston > London/Sheppey available – MORE DETAILS

What’s Included – RidePlus+ package registration

Rideplus Image Kitmontage
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

Rideplus Image Baggage
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.

Rideplus Image Hotfood
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.

04:41

Sunrise Start

21:33

sunset Finish

3000m

Elevation

205

Miles

The Route

A diverse cross-section of the city, country and history. Starting in the Thames estuary, the 200+ mile route bi-sects south London, bridging the Thames onto Wiggin’s Olympic time trial route, before seeking green country lanes, quaint villages, the lush Vale of Pewsey, climbing the Mendip hills, descending breathtaking Cheddar gorge, finally arriving on the seafront at Weston-Super-Mare.​

Chase The Sun South detailed route map from Minster-on-sea to Weston-Super-Mare cycling challenge.
Final detailed route maps and timing schedules will be released to all registered riders via a download link in the spring—for now the route overview graphic provides the vital statistics.

Book Return Travel ON SUNDAY

Logistics Returntravel V1

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…

Email US A QUESTION …

Itinerary

Travel to Isle of Sheppey, Minster (ME12 2DA)

It is recommended that you make early travel arrangements so that you arrive at your accommodation in the late afternoon/evening allowing time to prep bikes, attend the route briefing (8pm) and eat/drink and sleep well before an early morning pre-sunrise!

Accommodation
You need to book this yourself, we have compiled a list of conveniently located hotels but book early as spaces are limited at both start and finish locations.

Travel Information
More information on travelling to the Isle of Sheppey by train can also be found on our info page here.

Briefing and Pre-ride Dinner

18:00 Your pre-booked meal (All-In riders only) is available from 6pm at the ride HQ at the Abbey Hotel, Minster.

20:00 All Riders – at ride HQ there will be a short informal rider’s briefing from the Chase The Sun organisers to answer any questions and ensure the ride gets underway smoothly at sunrise.

Attendance at the briefing is recommended even if you are not staying or eating at the ride HQ hotel, as it is a great opportunity to meet with your fellow riders and organise groups for the ride start the following morning.

Ride Day

04:00 Bag Van opens for pre-booked riders’ luggage transfer service.

04:15 Riders assemble at the Start line. SIGN-ON with event staff directing for riders.

04:41 Official Sunrise time, Riders Depart! from the coastal road near the Abbey Hotel, outside Minster on the Isle-of-Sheppey.

04:55 Any support vehicles (to be parked at Abbey Hotel) to leave after riders have cleared.

Mid-day (approx) Riders must stop and SIGN-IN at the designated lunch venue, food and supplies available to purchase as required (or inc within RidePlus+ & All-In registrations).

19-23:00 Riders must SIGN-IN at the Finish line on the Grand Pier at Weston seafront, where drinks and meals (inc within RidePlus+ & All-In registrations) are available till late, so please stick around to cheer and celebrate as your fellow riders come in around sunset. Bag Van will be available for luggage collection at the finish line venue.

21:33 Official Sunset, time to celebrate the longest day on two wheels, did you make it this year? Gather for a special cheer for the riders who make across the line for the last ray of sun!

Note: Saturday evening travel plans? A few late trains do leave nearby Weston-Super-Mare station after sunset but may be busy, most riders will stay to enjoy a well-earned drink and some pub grub and book a room in Weston before travelling homewards the following day.

Return travel from Weston-Super-Mare

Most riders and groups may enjoy a beachside stroll along Weston seafront after breakfast before leaving on Sunday morning.

Trains return from Weston-Super-Mare station, within 1 mile of the ride finish. There are Sunday morning trains to Bristol, London, etc.

Travel and bike transport Sunday return service
This year we are providing a person & bike transfer via coach departing Sunday morning from Weston-Super-Mare back to London, as well as the Isle of Sheppey Start HQ. This must be booked in advance, for more information see details here.

Chase The Sun South start: Minster-on-Sea. UK coast to coast cycling challenge.
Route Start

near the Abbey Hotel, Minster-on-Sea, ME12 2DA
04:40 Sunrise start at the seafront on The Leas Road.

Chase The Sun South finish: Weston-Super-Mare. UK coast to coast cycling challenge.
Route Finish

Grand Pier, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 1AL
21:30 Sunset finish at the bar/cafe on the end of the Grand Pier.

Accommodation

You need to book this yourself, book early, spaces are limited at both start and finish locations.

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a ride, not a race.
It’s a physical, mental and navigational challenge.
Chase the Sun South is an annual cycling challenge from East to West coasts on the longest Saturday of the year. It’s a ride of over 200 miles. It is tough but achievable for an average committed cyclist—if they have put in the training! The objective is to get to the coastal finish before the sun sets.

Your participation in these events is based on the condition of you accepting responsibility for your own safety and should you have a mechanical issue that can’t be resolved, your own recovery.

We always run Chase the Sun on the longest Saturday of the year, mid-summer weekend in June. We start at Sunrise, (generally around 04:40ish) and aim to finish by Sunset, (around 21:30ish)… times vary slightly with location.

We start on the coastal road, overlooking the sea wall in The Leas, Minster on Sea, Kent (ME12 2TE). There will be organisers there to assist you on the day.

Riders should arrive at the start line well before sunset, to fulfil the ride SIGN-ON before you can depart on your ride.

Note: that any supporter vehicles will be asked to park nearby within the coastal carparks or Abbey Hotel car park, there is not enough room for all cars and riders on Leas Road.

Yes. There is a .gpx file for downloading to your bike computer and there are map sheets, but there are no route signs. This is not just a physical and mental challenge, it’s a navigational one, too.

You will only find out by trying. Chase The Sun Ireland is an achieveable challenge for any determined rider. Most people do make it for sunset. Some people make it—but after the sun has set. Some people don’t make it, but have a great longest day’s ride. All have an extraordinary adventure! Put the miles in and go for it—just do your preparation first!

We have had all sorts of riders, from commuters to elite athletes, complete Chase the Sun on all sorts of bikes, Fixies, 29er MTB’s, Tandem and a Fat Bike.

There’s no competitive element, other than your own personal challenge to Chase the Sun, so if you wish you can take on the longest day upon your E-Bike.

The adventure is in the journey, whether or not you achieve the satisfaction of seeing the sunset. It will be memorable either way!

Yes. We have partnered with some of the bike shops that are on the route. At many of these, you’ll find a special Chase The Sun deal like bacon roll, pastry and a coffee for a fiver, free cakes and coffee or mechanics that will provide assistance. There are also a couple of pubs and a bakery that will provide their services too.

Of course, you have numerous shops and pubs passed along the route to potentially re-fuel at. These are all marked for you on the detailed routebook mapping that will be issued to registrants.

One suggestion is to join a local cycling group. Most of them will have a group that will suit your speed. Doing this will almost certainly help your group riding skills and build your confidence.

If you don’t fancy it, don’t worry, there are plenty of people riding Chase the Sun solo—you are bound to strike up a conversation with plenty of other riders—it helps the miles go by.

If you do find yourself riding in a group, just please be aware, courteous and communicate with other riders around you.

We seek quieter backroads and lanes wherever possible, trying to maximise cycling enjoyment and minimise the time spent negotiating traffic. Of course, however, this is a double-century ride and an epic journey from coast to coast, so there is a variety of roads, towns, cities and villages to pass through, with some busier stretches of road where extra care and attention should be required.

Some narrow lanes are barely passable by cars, while you do use short sections of a couple of A roads and parts of south London normally have some traffic at the times that most riders will be there during mid-morning.

No. You can ride anything you want but we do recommend that you have it serviced and that its well-maintained before you start. It’s a tough event, bad maintenance can make it tougher.

That’s up to you to get sorted. Obviously, as for every ride, you should carry a spare inner-tube and the tools to repair a puncture. For more complex problems, there will be either a helpful rider that will assist, or you can see if you can get a taxi or supporter lift to the next bike shop on the route. They will do their best to get you running again and get you on your way. Chase The Sun does have professional mechanics to assist stationed at the designated lunch stop.

That’s up to you. Some riders ride there, (seriously). Some riders drive down with a loved one/friend who will be their support team for the event. Some riders use public transport. There is a pretty regular train service to Sittingbourne & Sheerness stations from London (just check cycle restrictions at peak afternoon times).

We offer a designated official Bag Transfer service to transport your (small) bag from start to finish, ensuring it is there waiting for you on your arrival at the finish line. This service is included for you within some registration packages. Subject to capacity, it may also be available to pre-book separately, for details refer to our travel logistics services .

Note: All baggage is deposited at the owner’s risk. No responsibility for loss or damage is accepted.

There are literally dozens of places to stay in Weston-Super-Mare. If you have the time, spend an extra night there, it makes the cyclists more welcome and that in return helps the ride as a whole.

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, and 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.

We now offer a range of registration options to suit different rider’s 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. On the seafront, at the end of the Grand Pier at Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (BS23 1AL).

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.

There is only one ‘official’ stop, and that’s at the halfway point, riders must again SIGN-IN with event staff at this mandatory checkpoint at the Clift Meadow Pavillion, Bramley, (RG26 5BH) north of Basingstoke.

This is the official Lunch stop, where you will also be able to refill bottles, as well as grab some lunch as the friendly team opens up the kitchen with a special quick grab & eat menu for riders on the day.

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 here:

TRAINING ADVICE

The honest answer is it is a bit hilly, yes. It’s nothing too dramatic. For those of you that study routes, you can’t help but notice the multiple Mendip hills that lead up to Cheddar Gorge. You have to trust us that once you are there, these are either short and sharp, or long but very gentle. The route topography makes it look a lot worse than it is. You will climb approx 3,200m of climbing but this is spread due to the duration of the ride.

Trust us – the exhilarating descent down Cheddar Gorge near the end makes it all worth it!

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)! Some riders will go straight home from the finish. Most riders book a stay in Weston-Super-Mare for the night and then go home the following day. There are relatively regular trains on the West Coast mainline and we are just off the M5 motorway, so it’s not too difficult.

Travel and bike transport support service
This year we are providing a return journey for person & bike transfer via coach from the finish at Weston-Super-Mare to a central London location or back to the Isle of Sheppey start location. This departs on Sunday morning. For more details of this service and pricing check out our travel partners page.

Yes – Long term Parking at Minster is available across various carparks, 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).

We offer guaranteed rooms at the Abbey Hotel at the start on the coast in Minster, priced as part of our ‘All-In package’ registrations – however, these sell out incredibly quickly. They will allow riders to keep their beloved bikes in their rooms and provide a packed breakfast.

There are a number of other hotels and B&Bs on the Isle or nearby within a short drive/taxi (or a pre-dawn ride) to the start location. Check the accommodation section of the website for other options.

ACCOMMODATION

It’s a ride, not a race. So no one knows, and we don’t care. It’s not about speed, it’s 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 on the finishers list. If you don’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.

RECORDS

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. Thank you.

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

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:

  • Make changes to your registration details
  • Create or Join a Team of riders
  • Update your contact details
  • Add extra services to your booking

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST – BE THE FIRST TO HEAR NEWS

Subscribe to our mailing list for news of upcoming events, plus endurance riding advice, tips and partner offers

Plus follow us on socials for more updates … @chasethesuncycle

Instagram

Our Partners

Blackmacmillanjpeg
Fettle Logo Rgb Blue Copyblack
Ocean Logo 2024 Square Rgb
Footer Logos Voom Sg
Footer Logos Hers Hc
Footer Logos Strade Godo
Footer Logos Turbolento Ece
Footer Logos Endh Fou
Interested to Chase The Sun in 2027? - Pre-register for priority entry window >>PRE-REG NOW
+