Audax UK
Audax UK or AUK is a British cycling club that oversees randonneuring (long-distance cycling) in the United Kingdom.[2] It was formed in 1976 to help British riders complete the qualifying rides for entry to the Paris-Brest-Paris randonee.[3] Audax UK is recognised by Audax Club Parisien as the official brevet-coordinating organization for the United Kingdom, although in practice events in Northern Ireland are organised by Audax Ireland. Audax UK members sometimes informally describe themselves as AUKs.
 | |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Membership | 8697 (end 2019)[1] |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Affiliation | Audax Club Parisien and Les Randonneurs Mondiaux |
| Chairman | Chris Crossland |
| Secretary | Graeme Provan |
| Official website | |
| www | |
By the end of 2018, Audax UK membership had exceeded 8,000 for the first time and 2019 will see the highest number of "calendar" events (i.e. mass rides that take place on a specific day) yet. These events are open to all riders, whether they are Audax UK members or not (non-members pays a small fee for "temporary membership" for the duration of the event). The official magazine, Arrivée, is published four times per year.
Events
AUK coordinates and validates Audax events but does not organise any events directly; these are typically organised by existing cycle clubs, local Cycling UK groups, or informal local Audax groups such as "Audax Club Mid-Essex" or "Audax Ecosse". The events are non-competitive, with riders needing only to complete the ride distance within specified time limits. There are three types of rides:
- Calendar events are organised with some similarities to sportives, although with more emphasis on self-sufficiency. Rides of 200km and above are known as Brevets de Randonneurs, whereas rides under 200km are known as Brevets Populaires.
- A "permanent" is a designated route which can be ridden by the rider on a day of their choice. The attempt is subsequently validated by AUK. The routes have usually been used for calendar events in the past.
- A "DIY" allows the rider to design their own route (which must be validated by "proof of passage" or a GPS track) and the day of the ride.
In the 2017-18 season, 21,585 rides were completed and validated on 541 calendar events.
Notable rides
The notable calendar events include London–Edinburgh–London, held every four years;[4] the National 400; London-Wales-London (formerly the Severn Across), a 400km ride from West London to the Wye Valley and back again;[5] the Bryan Chapman Memorial, a 600km ride from South to North Wales and back again;[6] and the Mille Pennines, a 1000km ride held in Northern England.
In the 2019 season, the most popular events for each distance were:[7]
- 100km - Devon Delight, Newton Abbot
- 200km - Ditchling Devil, Wimbledon
- 300km - 3Down, Chalfont St Peter
- 400km - Brevet Cymru, Chepstow
- 600km - Bryan Chapman Memorial, Chepstow
National 400
The National is a 400km "flagship" calendar event originally organised by the CTC in 1982. This was re-established in 2012 and has been organised by a different local group each summer:
- 2012 - East Anglia, organised by Norfolk Audax
- 2013 - West Country, organised by Exeter Wheelers
- 2014 - Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines, organised by VC167
- 2015 - Scottish Highlands, organised by CTC Highland
- 2016 - Cheshire and Wales, organised by Peak Audax
- 2017 - Mid Wales and the Marches, organised by Shropshire CTC
- 2018, 2019, 2020 - not held
Time limits
The time limits for Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux rides are set by ACP as follows:
♦ 200km - 13 hours 30 minutes
♦ 300km - 20 hours
♦ 400km - 27 hours
♦ 600km - 40 hours
Brevet Populaire events can be run at slower speeds than BRM events.
Points and awards
Points are awarded on the basis of 1 point for every full 100km ridden on rides of 200km and above. The AUK season runs from 1 October to 30 September each year. There are trophies for the highest scoring individuals and clubs each year. In 2018 these were won by Shaun Hargreaves and Four Corners Audax respectively.
Audax UK allow members to qualify for numerous awards, as set out in the tables below. All distances are in kilometres (km).
In parallel to the main points system, there is the Audax Altitude Award (AAA) system for grimpeurs. AAA points are awarded on the basis of 1 point for every 1000m of climbing, rounded to the nearest quarter point and subject to a minimum climb rate which depends on the distance.
Distance Awards
Medals or cloth badges are available for individual rides of the following distances: 50km, 100km, 150km, 200km, 300km, 400km, 600km and 1,000km.
Randonneur Awards
The Randonneur awards[8] aim to encourage riders to progress through increasing distances, and are awarded for rides completed within a single season.
The Super Randonneur is awarded for completing 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km rides in one season. 458 riders completed an SR in the 2017 season.[9] Entrants to Paris-Brest-Paris must ride this series in the same year as the PBP ride to qualify for a place. Some groups organise their own "Super Randonneur Series" of these distances, such as the Mid-Essex series and the Wessex series.
| Award Name | 50k | 100k | 150k | 200k | 300k | 400k | 500k | 600k | 1000k | 1200k+ | Timespan | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randonneur 500 (CB) | Y | Y | Y | Y | 1 season | Longer distances can be substituted | ||||||
| Randonneur 1000 (M/CB) | Y | Y | Y | 1 season | Plus another 400km of events | |||||||
| Super Randonneur (M/CB) | Y | Y | Y | Y | 1 season | Longer distances can be substituted | ||||||
| Super Randonneur 2500 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 1 season | no substitutions allowed | |||||
| Randonneur 5000 (CB) | Audax events totalling 5,000 km | 1 season | ||||||||||
| Randonneur 10000 (CB) | Audax events totalling 10,000 km | 1 season | ||||||||||
Brevet Awards
The Brevet awards encourage riders to keep riding over several seasons, with the exception of the Brevet 500 which is aimed at younger riders and is awarded for rides within a single season.
| Award Name | 50k | 100k | 150k | 200k | 300k | 400k | 500k | 600k | 1000k | 1200k+ | E2E | PBP | LEL | 24hr | Timespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevet 500 | x5 | 1 season | Or 2x100km and 2x150km | |||||||||||||
| Brevet 1000 (M) | x10 | Lifetime | see note 2 | |||||||||||||
| Brevet 2000 | x20 | Lifetime | see note 3 | |||||||||||||
| Brevet 3000 | events totalling 3000 km | Lifetime | ||||||||||||||
| Brevet 4000 (CB) | x20 | Lifetime | ||||||||||||||
| Brevet 5000 (M) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | either | Y | 4 years | see note 4 | |||||||
| Brevet 25000 (CB) | x3 | x3 | x3 | x3 | Y | Y | either | Y | 6 years | see note 5 | ||||||
Special Awards
| Award Name | 50k | 100k | 150k | 200k | 300k | 400k | 500k | 600k | 1000k | 1200k+ | E2E | PBP | LEL | 24hr | Timespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randonneur Round the Year (CB) | At least one 200km or longer in 12 successive calendar months | Lifetime | ||||||||||||||
| International Super Randonneur (CB) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Lifetime | see note 6 | ||||||||||
| Bronze Grimpeur (M) | any Audax event worth ¼ to ½ AAA point | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Silver Grimpeur (M) | any Audax event worth ¾ to 1¾ AAA points | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Gold Grimpeur (M) | any Audax event worth 2 or more AAA points | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Audax Altitude Award (M/CB) | accumulation of 12 or more AAA points, i.e. 20,000m of climbing | Lifetime | ||||||||||||||
| AAA Triple Award (CB) | accumulation of 3 Audax Altitude Awards | Lifetime | ||||||||||||||
| AAA 3x3 Award (CB) | accumulation of 3 AAA Triple Awards | Lifetime | ||||||||||||||
Notes to tables
- M = medal, CB = cloth badge
- 10 rides include rides ridden in Brevet 500; alternatively, 5x200km Audax events in one Season
- alternatively, 10x200km Audax events
- plus additional Audax events to top up to 5000 km
- plus additional Audax events to top up to 25000 km; 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k rides are officially defined as a Super Randonneur series and as such longer events may substitute for shorter ones of these
- each event must take place in a different country; additional levels of the award also exist, e.g.: ISR(2C) if they are held between 2 continents
See also
Notes
- Audax UK Annual Report 2018-19 https://www.audax.uk/media/2104/auk-annual_jan_2020plusfinal_4.pdf
- The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/jun/05/there-and-back-again-riding-373-miles-across-wales-over-a-weekend
- AUK 2011, p. 2
- Cyclist http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/3151/the-uk-s-toughest-audax-london-edinburgh-london
- The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2018/may/31/rise-ultra-cyclists-london-wales-london-audax
- The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/jun/05/there-and-back-again-riding-373-miles-across-wales-over-a-weekend
- Audax UK http://www.aukweb.net/results/archive/2019/events/?Type=Calendar&Combined=false&Sortby=Riders&Sortdir=DESC
- Audax UK overview of randonneur awards
- Audax UK Super Randonneurs for the 2017 season
References
- Audax UK (2011). Audax UK Handbook 2011. Ashford, UK: Invicta Press. Retrieved 2012-02-02.