Historic GA Bennett road races return to the Lincolnshire calendar this May
Witham Wheelers will once again promote their long-running GA Bennett and GT Ellingworth road races on Monday 25 May, continuing a Grantham fixture whose history stretches back more than six decades.
There are not many club road races in Britain that can trace their roots back more than half a century. Fewer still that continue to attract full fields year after year. Yet the GA Bennett and GT Ellingworth road races – promoted by Witham Wheelers of Grantham – have managed exactly that.
The Lincolnshire club will once again stage the races on the bank holiday Monday, 25 May, with an E123 GA Bennett event and a 3/4 GT Ellingworth race forming part of the day’s programme.
The event’s history stretches back to the early 1960s, with racing on the Grantham circuit dating to 1963 and the races running annually since 1968. Current organiser and club chairman Simon Cocker took over responsibility for the event in 2010, continuing a lineage that includes long-time organiser Geoff Ellingworth.
“The races have a long history,” Cocker said. “They are something the club has taken pride in promoting for many years and we’re pleased to keep them going.”
The races are held on a rolling 12-mile circuit in rural Lincolnshire, a course riders have come to know well. The roads are narrow in places but generally quiet, lending themselves to fast and aggressive racing once the bunch settles into rhythm.
Jack Hartley wins the 2025 GA Bennett Road Race. Image: Sarah Swinscoe
“It’s a circuit riders seem to enjoy,” Cocker said. “It’s rolling rather than mountainous, but the terrain encourages attacking racing and the roads are usually quiet on the day.”
Despite wider concerns across British cycling about the growing cost and complexity of organising road races, Cocker is keen to highlight the role of officials and volunteers in making the event possible.
“There has been quite a lot of negative press about the cost and difficulty of organising races under British Cycling regulations,” he said. “But the officials in the East Midlands region are a great help.”
“With the Regional Competition Administrator organising the necessary police permissions, commissaires and accredited marshals supporting the event, and the National Escort Group providing motorcycle escorts, the package helps us make the event as safe as possible without the need for a full road closure – which isn’t realistic for a National B race.”
The races have traditionally attracted full fields, and while many riders now leave entries until the final days before an event, interest remains strong. “Entries tend to come in late these days, but we still receive enquiries right up to the night before,” Cocker said.
The club also acknowledged the continued backing of Pedal Pushers of Grantham, whose support helps sustain the event.
For Witham Wheelers, the aim is simple: to keep a long-standing club race alive in a challenging landscape for domestic road racing.
“It’s about maintaining something that’s been part of the calendar for a long time,” Cocker said. “As a club we’re proud to continue putting it on.”
There are not many club road races in Britain that can trace their roots back more than half a century. Fewer still that continue to attract full fields year after year. Yet the GA Bennett and GT Ellingworth road races – promoted by Witham Wheelers of Grantham – have managed exactly that.
The Lincolnshire club will once again stage the races on the bank holiday Monday, 25 May, with an E123 GA Bennett event and a 3/4 GT Ellingworth race forming part of the day’s programme.
The event’s history stretches back to the early 1960s, with racing on the Grantham circuit dating to 1963 and the races running annually since 1968. Current organiser and club chairman Simon Cocker took over responsibility for the event in 2010, continuing a lineage that includes long-time organiser Geoff Ellingworth.
“The races have a long history,” Cocker said. “They are something the club has taken pride in promoting for many years and we’re pleased to keep them going.”
The races are held on a rolling 12-mile circuit in rural Lincolnshire, a course riders have come to know well. The roads are narrow in places but generally quiet, lending themselves to fast and aggressive racing once the bunch settles into rhythm.
“It’s a circuit riders seem to enjoy,” Cocker said. “It’s rolling rather than mountainous, but the terrain encourages attacking racing and the roads are usually quiet on the day.”
Despite wider concerns across British cycling about the growing cost and complexity of organising road races, Cocker is keen to highlight the role of officials and volunteers in making the event possible.
“There has been quite a lot of negative press about the cost and difficulty of organising races under British Cycling regulations,” he said. “But the officials in the East Midlands region are a great help.”
“With the Regional Competition Administrator organising the necessary police permissions, commissaires and accredited marshals supporting the event, and the National Escort Group providing motorcycle escorts, the package helps us make the event as safe as possible without the need for a full road closure – which isn’t realistic for a National B race.”
The races have traditionally attracted full fields, and while many riders now leave entries until the final days before an event, interest remains strong. “Entries tend to come in late these days, but we still receive enquiries right up to the night before,” Cocker said.
The club also acknowledged the continued backing of Pedal Pushers of Grantham, whose support helps sustain the event.
For Witham Wheelers, the aim is simple: to keep a long-standing club race alive in a challenging landscape for domestic road racing.
“It’s about maintaining something that’s been part of the calendar for a long time,” Cocker said. “As a club we’re proud to continue putting it on.”
Riders can enter here.
Featured image: Sarah Swinscoe
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