This weekend marks the 2026 RTTC National 50 mile championships. Riders will tackle a 3 lap course near Congleton in the North West of England. View the J4/34 course forecast.

Set just two weekends ago, the course records on the new J4/34 course are 1:47:29 and and 2:11:58 for men and women respectively – though after Sunday’s national championship we suspect both of these records will fall.

The wind sheer plot shows that the course is mostly protected from the wind. The dark sections of the overlay show where wind is reduced due to surface friction (caused by hedges, hills and more). The lighter sections are more exposed so the relative wind speed is higher – though forecasted speeds for Sunday are relatively low in general.

The terrain

Although we’re expecting some fast times, the course is not flat. Each lap descends into, and climbs out of, the River Dane valley twice. Most of the climbing and descending is on moderate gradients, so it should still be a day for the big chainring. However, a significant portion of the route is above 2%, and with a maximum gradient of 6.1%, some riders may find themselves wishing they had more than a single chainring.

We can see from the elevation profile that the course rolls gently. For some riders, depending on your personal preferences and physiology, this kind of course can be an advantage as it allows recruitment of different muscles as the gradient gently changes. Riding a long, hilly, time trial is an art form – and we have a specific guide on this here.

The weather and the wind

The weather has been in the news a lot this week, it’s hot up and down the country! Sunday’s forecast is much milder than this week. Riders shouldn’t have to make heat adjustments to their pacing plan for the race. The broad forecast summary is for moderate temperatures with a chance of showers.

The wind adjusted elevation tells the story of the day – wind is forecast to be mild 3.5m/s (7.5mph) and the course is relatively sheltered. The wind will add roughly an extra 35m of elevation each lap to the ride feel.

In terms of the course obstacles, there’s a couple of roundabouts to negotiate so early riders may see a traffic advantage before the Sunday shoppers head out at 10am.

All in all, it should be a good day for some faster than expected times with moderate temperatures and extremely still conditions. That paired with a pretty decent road surface and a successful test event, Congleton CC – myWindsock is looking forward to welcoming you to the race! See you all on Sunday.

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