Hawick Cycling Club present...

The Ken Laidlaw Sportive: Sunday, 15 June 2025

Introduction

We are delighted to be able to offer places on the Ken Laidlaw Sportive again in 2025 and having spent time discussing how we might refresh the event with club members and our large Facebook community we have some exciting new features. 

Our first change is to the date and start venue.  Our new date is much earlier in the summer on the 15 June.  We have also moved the start to the centre of Hawick at the new Wee Haugh Park adjacent to Hawick Cycling Club clubrooms and the Santa Marina Restaurant.  We are excited about these changes because of the opportunities that they bring.

We had many requests to bring back the mass start so it is back for 2025, fully marshalled, and parading through the centre of town before you are flagged to go once the marshalled parade gets outside of town.

Santa Marina Restaurant are providing an optional finisher's meal with choices of pasta or pizza and a soft drink at a special price of £10 for riders to book when they enter the event.

We will have a feed and mechanical assistance station at Newcastleton as well as our traditional one on the top of the Swire. (Sponsored by Weldtite.)

We have a special event bidon as a gift for all finishers.

We recommend early entry to secure your place and get the best price. With the demand for places high we have 450 places on offer for 2025. There is an early bird entry fee for the first 250 places or until the 1 January 2024 (whichever comes first) which we have held at £20 for the fifth year.  Add a meal and the total cost is £30. After that the price rises to £30; £40 if you add the optional finisher's meal. Early entry also helps us plan the event, that's why we make this offer. We are asking you to create a Entry Central Account to enter our event if you haven't already done so.  This helps minimise errors and allows you to make changes to permitted fields including transferring your entry to someone else if you can't attend.  There is an option to insure your entry fee when you sign up.  

We have prided ourselves on the Ken Laidlaw being the friendly sportive with riders enjoying the company of others, the challenges we set and a welcoming well-organised event.  We are retaining our now famous three routes.

Entries close 1 week before the start of the event and we won't be accepting entries on the day, even if places remain.  

We will keep you informed of any changes through email to entrants and on our Facebook Page at Ken Laidlaw Sportive

Feature of the Ken Laidlaw Sportive

• Three routes to choose from to give you an appropriate challenge
• The event is held mainly on well-surfaced back roads with very little traffic
• The views around this Borders and Dumfries & Galloway route are fantastic
• Riders are individually timed with the option of a certificate at the end to verify your time
• Cafes on route and free feed stations in Newcastleton and on the Swire.
• The challenge takes in the Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery, the largest Buddhist centre in Europe.
• This is an event organised by cyclists for cyclists.
• Headquarter opens at 7.00am for registration.
• Early Bird price of £20.
• An optional meal at the finish for only £10 pre booked. 

Rewards and Facilities for 2025

• Start pack including GPX files and risk assessments emailed to entrants prior to the event.
• Headquarters and start at the Wee Haugh, Slitrig Crescent, Hawick TD9 9RE.
• Riders set off as a marshalled cycling parade along Hawick High Street then a mass start once the parade leaves town.
• Ample car parking near to HQ on Hawick's new Sustrans route through town. Use it to get to the HQ.
• Cafes and feed station on route.
• An optional Italian meal at the end.
• GPX file for navigation, route maps available online.
• Well signposted route.
• Broom wagon, support vehicles, motor cycle monitoring of riders and routes, mechanics.
• Photos of riders made available free online.
• The option to insure your entry fee.

Event Details

1. Starting at 9.00am from the Wee Haugh the riders are set off together as a marshalled parade until we are out of Hawick at the Flex turn-off. 
2. The total distance for the gold challenge is 104 miles, and takes in the Samye Ling Tibetan monastery.
3. The gold route takes in the climbs of Bonchester Hill; The Note o the Gate; Holm Hill; Eskdalemuir; The Berry Bush; The Swire; Woll Rig and The Leap Linns. (The Berry Bush, and Swire are part of the Gordon Arms Trophy Hilly TT course.)
4. The silver route turns off at Tushielaw. Although this route is not significantly shorter at 80miles, it does take out the final lumpy secion of the Berry Bush, Swire, Woll etc.
5. The bronze route is around 55miles in length and turns for home after the Newcastleton refreshment stop and follows a pleasant but challenging run back to Hawick.
6. The Event control will close at 6pm, allowing a 10mph average speed.

The Ken Laidlaw Routes

To view the routes click on the links below which will take you to Ride with GPS where you can view route details, see a route guide and download a GPX file for GPS devices.

• The Gold Route
• The Silver Route
• The Bronze Route

More about Hawick Cycling Club

Hawick Cycling Club is a charitable organisation and was formed in 1881. It is one of the oldest clubs in the country.  Ken Laidlaw is a life member and has ridden the event although he now lives in America.  Ken competed in the Tour de France in 1961 and was the first Scot to complete the gruelling 3 week course.  We celebrate his achievements each year with this sportive while raising money to keep our club running and to support cycling initiatives in our locality.

Or follow us on Facebook at: Ken Laidlaw Sportive

Or contact Hawick Cycling Club: