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London 2012 announces Route for Olympic Road Races

February 10, 2011 | London 2012 Media Release

The medals for the 2012 Olympic Road Races will be fought out in front of Buckingham Palace at the end of the climax to the London 2012 cycle road race, it was announced on Thursday, February 10 by the the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG).

The Road Races for men and women are scheduled for the first and second days of the full sport competition of the Olympic Games. The events will start and finish on The Mall in central London, a location well used to hosting the start and finish of major cycling events such as the Tour of Britain.

The riders will race around a course that passes through six London boroughs - Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Richmond upon Thames, and Kingston upon Thames – before heading into Surrey and through the districts of Elmbridge, Reigate and Banstead, Guildford, Woking and Mole Valley before returning to central London for the finish. The course will also pass through Richmond Park and Bushy Park.

This announcement follows extensive consultation with the relevant local authorities to find routes that will provide an outstanding experience for athletes and spectators. Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: "This extends the Games into the south west of London and Surrey. We are delighted to be bringing such high profile and exciting events here which will be bringing the Road Race into challenging cycling terrain through many new boroughs and districts. Following our medal success in Beijing, the Road Cycling events really will bring the magic of the Games to life for many thousands of spectators."

Hugh Robertson MP, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said: "The Road Race is one of the first major events of London 2012 and will be followed closely by supporters looking for a home medal. I am, therefore, delighted that it will showcase many of our great landmarks and countryside and that big crowds will be able to watch it live."

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London said: "The explosion in cycling in the capital over the past year proves that Londoners have well and truly caught the cycling bug. There's no better way of getting around the city than on two wheels. This great route not only takes in London's iconic landmarks but brings the Games to the doorsteps of even more parts of the capital, and will ensure London keeps moving during these hugely popular events."

Pat McQuaid, President of the international cycling federation (UCI) said: "I think this route will produce an extremely exciting Olympic Games Road Race, and especially with the circuits of Box Hill, it will be a worthy winner of both the men’s and women’s gold medals".

Mark Cavendish, a prolific winner of stages in the biggest bike race in the world, the Tour de France, said "competing in a home Olympic Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity. To compete in the Road Race on the opening weekend of the London 2012 Games in front of home fans is going to be amazing. I look forward to checking out the course in detail and to experiencing the well known cycling terrain in Surrey through to the finish on The Mall."

The Road Race is provisionally scheduled to take place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July. The men’s race will take place on the Saturday and last for approximately six hours, and will be 250-km in length with 145 riders. The women’s race will take place on the Sunday and last for 3½ hours, and will be 140 km in length with 67 riders.

The road race route in brief:
Heading south-west from The Mall taking in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham to cross the Thames at Putney Bridge and into Wandsworth. Continuing into Richmond and into Richmond Park en route to Richmond Bridge where the race again crosses the Thames. Heading south and through Bushy Park to Hampton Court Palace and Hampton Court Bridge where the race enters Surrey. A large loop in Surrey taking in Walton on Thames, Weybridge, West Byfleet, West Horsley and Dorking.

From Dorking the race repeats a challenging 15.5km circuit around Box Hill including the National Trust’s Zig Zag Hill. This loop will be repeated multiple times for the men’s and women’s events. The race then returns to central London through Leatherhead, Esher, Hampton Court, Kingston and Richmond Park before using the same route back to The Mall. There will be a road race test event following the same route in mid August this year. Further details will be released as soon as possible. 

LOCOG has a public enquiry e-mail address – cycling.events@london2012.com

For a map (PDF, 6Mb)  of the Road Race course click here