The Berkeley Road Race facts for kids
The Annual Berkeley Road Race is a annual road race that follows a 85.2 mile route through the Gloucestershire countryside. It starts and finishes in front of the Berkeley Campus Secondary School in Wanswell. Usually during the race there are break away groups due to the silly nature of the race, although there has twice during the race history been a bunch sprint at the finish line. First winner was Donovan Biggs in 2013 who edged elder brother Gavin in a sprint finish after they had broken away on the Tytherington Hill, a midway point during the race. Due to the very select nature of the event only students of Focus School Berkeley Campus can take part in the race, and dates and results seldom published anywhere but within the school and community. There are exceptions however, ex-students can race if formally invited by current students and results and race reports may be published on the Focus School Berkeley Campus website.
It is usually held mid-June and is a well attended local event and always a thriller to watch.
"A profound, aggressive plot with a surprising, exciting finish" - The Guardian
"Not to be missed for any reason - legitimate or not." - gloucestershirecountycouncil.gov
History of the main event
- 2013: Donovan Biggs
- 2014: Brendan Pavey
- 2015: Howard Tunley (in absentia)
- 2016: Brendan Pavey
- 2017: Travis Martin
- 2018 (anticipated): Jordan Farr- Despite serious setbacks with a series of injuries he has won two warm up time trails and the end of season race, showing his true pedigree despite unfortunate events.
"The authors of this wiki page were evidently deranged. In both the 2013/14 events, the overall winners were too young to compete in the main event. In this special case we will offer forgiveness, but we would like to see that it will never happen again." Comment: <Anonymous user> on the behalf of the confused people of Wilton Campus
The junior event
The junior Berkeley Road Race is an even more popular event and drew twice as many spectators as its parent event in 2016. It has only been two editions of this race but it is proving worthwhile, to qualify you must attend the Berkeley Campus school and be under 15 years of age. Its record attendance of 21 people astounded the competitors and it is believed that it may have contributed to Campbell Martin's come-in-from-behind victory over William Brown. William Brown follows the family tradition of cycling. Campbell Martin had come back from an injury earlier in the year after he grazed his knee on the playground. William's choice of cycle is a cheap tricycle and there is ongoing dispute over whether this is legal. There has also been much speculation over his carbon frame that he uses, which is below the 9 kg limit. The 2017 event was by far a more clean and sporting race. The pack broke up as Campbell Martin broke away with hopes of another title 20 km from the finish, he was closely followed by Vernon Tunley and Chester Huntley. The race was far from over as 10 km from the finish a counter attack of 5 riders reeled them in. The rest was a full out battle where men were distinguished from the boys, and ended rather fittingly with Sterling Hext fighting through cramp to break away in the last 200 meters to win by a bike length and a half.
Latest news
The Team Warrior has just released its 8 man team for the next season's race with some surprising changes. It is a very high press team and expected to take out the dangerous sprint finishes of riders such as Martin, Watt and Biggs.
It has emerged that the Legendary Winston Herbert who usually specializes in Triathlon will be taking part in the 2018 version, which will be expected to create a serious competition for riders Brown, Farr and Shepperdly for the title. It has been speculated that Lynton Devenish is preparing to play this years race "dirty". Race directors have been prewarned and will have bouncers on the scene to restrain any unlawful conduct.
A Overview of last year's race
This is a transcript of last years race commentary. Commentator - Stuart Pavey (A main competitor)
From Watt to Taylor to Pavey this whole field is beginning to bunch up. Devenish crashing his way through the peleton creating something of a earthquake among the riders. It's coming into the last 500m as Martin tries his luck and surges of the front, his legs gunning like pistons and a true example of how dancing the pedals should be done. But Devenish isn't finnished yet as he claws past Martin and elbows him into the side gating there must be some penalty for that surely....
Now the final 200 the mighty William Brown is now using sheer power to out muscle Lynton and GETS THE INSIDE EDGE AS THEY BARREL AROUND THE LAST CORNER, wow some move there. But with 100m to go it's still anyone's race as Travis Martin with head down and his marginal gains slick hair style makes up 20 metres in the last straight and edges a win over the mighty William Brown to create history.
