Diss and Hackney road races cancelled; roadworks and marshall shortage cited
Roadworks have forced the cancellation of the Diss CC Summer Road Race, while a lack of safety cover has sunk CC Hackney’s event. With the Severn Bridge and Roy Hillman road races also scratched, just two National B road races remain in July
The Diss CC Summer Road Race (13 July) and the CC Hackney Road Race (20 July) – both National B category road race events – have been cancelled.
Diss organisers announced yesterday (12 July) that roadworks had blocked the course and no alternate route could be found at short notice. Notably, Diss’s race was also axed in 2024 due to roadworks. The organiser, Rob Hobbs, told The British Continental that, “it is heartbreaking for us having put so much effort into organising what we hoped would be a return to annual race for us.”
Meanwhile, Hackney CC cited a “lack of safety cover” – namely an insufficient number of accredited marshals – as the reason for pulling the plug. British Cycling requires trained marshals to halt traffic at junctions for every road race, and without enough volunteers an event simply cannot run. The Hackney promoter lamented that staging road races has become “harder and harder, especially for small clubs.” Last year’s CC Hackney Road Race was won by Clay Davies.
Two other National B races scheduled in early July were also scrapped. The Severn Bridge Road Race (6 July) and the Roy Hillman Memorial Road Race (6 July) were cancelled, though organisers have not publicly stated the reasons. As a result, only two National B road races remain on the July 2025 calendar: the women’s Inkberrow Road Race on 20 July – which doubles as Round 4 of the British Women’s Team Cup – and the HELYX Inter-Services Road Race Championships on 23 July. Beyond July, the National B road race calendar is thin: only a handful of Nat B events (including two multi-day stage races and two women’s races) are still scheduled for the rest of 2025. In all, at least ten National B road races have been cancelled so far this season, for varying reasons, while several long-running events have been dropped entirely.
Amid the gloom, new National B fixtures have broken cover this year, such as the North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic and the Mennock Pass Stage Race. Both events filled their start lists quickly, hinting that demand still exists when the product is right. Nevertheless, it is clearly a challenging backdrop for some organisers.
Riders and organisers alike hope that these problems can be addressed for 2026 – the Hackney club, for one, expressed regret at this year’s cancellation and vowed to try again “next year”. For now, however, the mid-summer road-racing scene remains noticeably weakened, with both racers and organisers feeling the pinch.
The Diss CC Summer Road Race (13 July) and the CC Hackney Road Race (20 July) – both National B category road race events – have been cancelled.
Diss organisers announced yesterday (12 July) that roadworks had blocked the course and no alternate route could be found at short notice. Notably, Diss’s race was also axed in 2024 due to roadworks. The organiser, Rob Hobbs, told The British Continental that, “it is heartbreaking for us having put so much effort into organising what we hoped would be a return to annual race for us.”
Meanwhile, Hackney CC cited a “lack of safety cover” – namely an insufficient number of accredited marshals – as the reason for pulling the plug. British Cycling requires trained marshals to halt traffic at junctions for every road race, and without enough volunteers an event simply cannot run. The Hackney promoter lamented that staging road races has become “harder and harder, especially for small clubs.” Last year’s CC Hackney Road Race was won by Clay Davies.
Two other National B races scheduled in early July were also scrapped. The Severn Bridge Road Race (6 July) and the Roy Hillman Memorial Road Race (6 July) were cancelled, though organisers have not publicly stated the reasons. As a result, only two National B road races remain on the July 2025 calendar: the women’s Inkberrow Road Race on 20 July – which doubles as Round 4 of the British Women’s Team Cup – and the HELYX Inter-Services Road Race Championships on 23 July. Beyond July, the National B road race calendar is thin: only a handful of Nat B events (including two multi-day stage races and two women’s races) are still scheduled for the rest of 2025. In all, at least ten National B road races have been cancelled so far this season, for varying reasons, while several long-running events have been dropped entirely.
The strain is compounded by rising costs and falling participation. For example, the May ECCA Road Race was cancelled after attracting only 38 riders – a field far too small to cover expenses. Financial pressures have forced other cancellations too: Sussex’s historic Bec CC Road Race (run since 1983) was discontinued, with organisers blaming “dwindling interest and increasing financial pressures”. Meanwhile, respected organisers Cold Dark North pulled two races this year – the Oakenclough and Aughton road races – because of what they regarded as systemic issues within British Cycling.
Amid the gloom, new National B fixtures have broken cover this year, such as the North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic and the Mennock Pass Stage Race. Both events filled their start lists quickly, hinting that demand still exists when the product is right. Nevertheless, it is clearly a challenging backdrop for some organisers.
Riders and organisers alike hope that these problems can be addressed for 2026 – the Hackney club, for one, expressed regret at this year’s cancellation and vowed to try again “next year”. For now, however, the mid-summer road-racing scene remains noticeably weakened, with both racers and organisers feeling the pinch.
Featured image: Mark James
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.