The Perfidious Albion

The Perfidious Albion – Lockerbie, Scotland, United Kingdom

• Date: August 2027 (exact date to be confirmed; entries open late 2026)

• Location: Starts at Somerton House Hotel, Lockerbie, Scotland; finishes at Brimscombe Mill, Cotswolds, England

• Distances: Approximately 1,600 km with roughly 23,000 m of elevation gain

• Event Type: Self-supported ultra-distance road and mixed-surface cycling event

The Perfidious Albion is a single-stage, self-supported cycling event running from Lockerbie in the Scottish Borders south to Brimscombe in the Cotswolds. The route covers around 1,600 kilometres with roughly 23,000 metres of climbing across mainland Britain. While approximately 98 percent of the course is on paved roads, riders navigate several gravel sectors and rougher paths along the route.

The course starts at the Somerton House Hotel in Lockerbie and loops past reservoirs before heading south towards Kielder and the North Pennines, which includes the ascent of Great Dun Fell. From there, riders cross the Lake District, tackling passes such as Honister, Whinlatter, Newlands, and Hardknott. The journey continues south through the Forest of Bowland into North Wales, passing through Eryri, the Mawddach estuary path, and Cregennan Lakes, before crossing the Cambrian Mountains, the Elan Valley, and the Brecon Beacons. The final section climbs onto the Cotswold escarpment across Cleeve Common before descending through the Coln Valley toward the finish.

Navigation and validation are conducted via GPS tracks and a mix of selfie checkpoints, alongside one manned checkpoint located at an off-grid cottage in North Wales where riders can refill water and rest. Riders carry mandatory Follow My Challenge tracking units to provide live public dot-watching coverage throughout the event. Entry is strictly capped at 40 participants, operating on a first-come basis. Bag transport is not provided, though Lockerbie station offers direct rail connections at the start, and Stroud station is situated ten minutes from the finish line.

Rider registration packages include GPS tracking, a detailed rider manual, GPX routes, a numbered cap, and a finisher t-shirt stamped upon arrival at The Bike Drop in Brimscombe. For full rules and updates on upcoming editions, visit the official event website.