Curious about the National Circuit Series and what makes it a highlight of the summer racing calendar? Over six consecutive evenings—from Otley on 2 July to Dawlish on 25 July—Britain’s top sprinters, punchers and all-rounders tackle tight, technical town-centre circuits under floodlights. With stops in Ilkley, Guildford, Sheffield and Colne en route, each round brings its own tactical challenges and crowd-charged atmosphere.
Whether you’re veteran of the series or watching circuit racing for the first time, here’s everything you need: the full 2025 calendar, an explanation of how the points battle plays out, and why grid positions and team tactics often decide who takes the title.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
The premier circuit race series in the UK, held every summer over June and July, and organised by British Cycling.
What are the races?
The 2025 National Circuit Series unfolds over six intense evenings of racing, kicking off on 2 July and culminating on 25 July. This year’s calendar is trimmed to six rounds – one fewer than in 2024 – but boasts fresh faces and a wider geographic sweep.
The series finale shifts to the inaugural Dawlish Grand Prix on 25 July, brought to life by the South West Road Racing Working Group, in what promises to be a fittingly dramatic climax on Devon’s shore.
Two rounds – Dudley and Beverley – have disappeared – not through design, but because of local authority funding constraints. Their absence makes way for Dawlish’s debut, yet also highlights the fragility of staging high-profile street races in today’s economic and public spending climate.
The opener remains under Yorkshire floodlights at Otley on 2 July, where narrow lanes and raucous crowds set the tone. On 4 July, the peloton returns to Ilkley’s town centre for rapid laps around the spa town’s tight circuit, before heading south to Guildford on 9 July, with its cobbled high street finish.
Mid-series battles continue on 16 July in Sheffield, another popular longstanding event, and then onto Colne in Lancashshire on 22 July.
Calendar
Date
Round
Race
2 July
1
LOGCO Otley Cycle Races
4 July
2
Ilkley Cycle Races
9 July
3
CANYON Guildford Town Centre Races
16 July
4
Sheffield Grand Prix
22 July
5
Fort Vale Colne Grand Prix
25 July
6
Dawlish Grand Prix
Rider gridding
In a progressive move, UCI Continental riders will no longer have priority over elite riders when it comes to gridding. Instead, gridding will primarily be based on merit i.e. it will be determined by the Series rankings. Gridding matters because the further back riders are positioned the harder it can be to ever see the front of the race, particularly on tight, technical circuits.
Riders will be positioned on the grid at the start of each event, in the following order: i. Current National Circuit Race Champion ii. The previous winner of the event iii. National Series Leader (from round 2 onwards). iv. Riders ranked in the top 20 of the Series standings, in order from 2nd to 20th place (from round 2 onwards)
Scoring
The scoring system remains the same as last year, with the top 40 riders in each race all accruing points.
British Cycling National Circuit Series points shall be awarded for finishing positions as below:
Pos
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Pts
50
48
46
44
42
40
38
36
34
32
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
Pos
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
Pts
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
For the individual classification, the overall winner of the series will be the rider who gains the highest total number of points across each series respectively.
Only teams starting a race with three or more riders will be considered for the team classification in that race. The team classification for each race will be determined by the finishing position of the three best-placed riders in each team only. The classification will be calculated based on the sum total of the finishing positions for the first three riders of each team. Points will be assigned as per the individual standings (see above). The team that accumulates the most points at the end of the Series shall win the overall team classification.
Read more
Our explainer on the National Road Series is here.
The British Cycling pages on the National Circuit Series can be found here. The open series regulations can be accessed here, while the women’s series regulations are here.
Curious about the National Circuit Series and what makes it a highlight of the summer racing calendar? Over six consecutive evenings—from Otley on 2 July to Dawlish on 25 July—Britain’s top sprinters, punchers and all-rounders tackle tight, technical town-centre circuits under floodlights. With stops in Ilkley, Guildford, Sheffield and Colne en route, each round brings its own tactical challenges and crowd-charged atmosphere.
Whether you’re veteran of the series or watching circuit racing for the first time, here’s everything you need: the full 2025 calendar, an explanation of how the points battle plays out, and why grid positions and team tactics often decide who takes the title.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
The premier circuit race series in the UK, held every summer over June and July, and organised by British Cycling.
What are the races?
The 2025 National Circuit Series unfolds over six intense evenings of racing, kicking off on 2 July and culminating on 25 July. This year’s calendar is trimmed to six rounds – one fewer than in 2024 – but boasts fresh faces and a wider geographic sweep.
The series finale shifts to the inaugural Dawlish Grand Prix on 25 July, brought to life by the South West Road Racing Working Group, in what promises to be a fittingly dramatic climax on Devon’s shore.
Two rounds – Dudley and Beverley – have disappeared – not through design, but because of local authority funding constraints. Their absence makes way for Dawlish’s debut, yet also highlights the fragility of staging high-profile street races in today’s economic and public spending climate.
The opener remains under Yorkshire floodlights at Otley on 2 July, where narrow lanes and raucous crowds set the tone. On 4 July, the peloton returns to Ilkley’s town centre for rapid laps around the spa town’s tight circuit, before heading south to Guildford on 9 July, with its cobbled high street finish.
Mid-series battles continue on 16 July in Sheffield, another popular longstanding event, and then onto Colne in Lancashshire on 22 July.
Calendar
Rider gridding
In a progressive move, UCI Continental riders will no longer have priority over elite riders when it comes to gridding. Instead, gridding will primarily be based on merit i.e. it will be determined by the Series rankings. Gridding matters because the further back riders are positioned the harder it can be to ever see the front of the race, particularly on tight, technical circuits.
Riders will be positioned on the grid at the start of each event, in the following order:
i. Current National Circuit Race Champion
ii. The previous winner of the event
iii. National Series Leader (from round 2 onwards).
iv. Riders ranked in the top 20 of the Series standings, in order from 2nd to 20th place (from round 2 onwards)
Scoring
The scoring system remains the same as last year, with the top 40 riders in each race all accruing points.
British Cycling National Circuit Series points shall be awarded for finishing positions as below:
For the individual classification, the overall winner of the series will be the rider who gains the highest total number of points across each series respectively.
Only teams starting a race with three or more riders will be considered for the team classification in that race. The team classification for each race will be determined by the finishing position of the three best-placed riders in each team only. The classification will be calculated based on the sum total of the finishing positions for the first three riders of each team. Points will be assigned as per the individual standings (see above). The team that accumulates the most points at the end of the Series shall win the overall team classification.
Read more
Our explainer on the National Road Series is here.
The British Cycling pages on the National Circuit Series can be found here. The open series regulations can be accessed here, while the women’s series regulations are here.
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