Volunteering & Supporting at The RTTC National 24 Hour TT // 2026

I decided after the 2025 24 Hour TT that I wouldn’t ride the event in 2026, focusing instead on the BAR distances of 10, 25, 50 and 100 Mile TTs. I did keep the weekend clear in my calendar as I wanted to help at the event in a volunteering and supporting capacity. This race relies heavily on volunteers and enthusiasts so having ridden it twice, I thought it was time to be on the other side of it.

Pre-Race

I’d met Greg Elwell at The Anfield 100 Mile TT in May and our connection was that we were both coached by Conrad Moss, of VeloPower Performance Coaching. Greg had shown his ability with a very strong 2nd place of 03:46:28 at The Anfield, whilst I was very pleased with a course PB and under 4 hours at 03:57:31. We were both keen on the long stuff and we stayed in touch building up to the 24 Hour TT. Greg had positioned himself for success by the commitment shown to his training and a huge weekly volume, which must have been hard to keep up. I’d be mixing my volunteer duties in with whatever support and encouragement I could offer to Greg.

At the HQ I said hello to some familiar faces and also met Greg and one of his crew, Rhys, who I’d likely meet up with later in the race. I picked up a start sheet and chatted with some of the riders, one of them being #14 Charlie Stewart, I recognised him from a blog I’d read of his previous attempt at the 24 Hour in 2022. He had an interesting bike, custom made Titanium TT bike. Very clean and a matching skinsuit! I caught up with Pete Bishop from the 24 Hour Fellowship and said hello to race organiser Tim Smith, who like the riders and crews, was staring down the barrel of everything to come throughout the next 24 hours or so.

Countdown to the off

Shortly after 13:00 I went down to the start line to see the riders get counted down and make their start. As a rider, you just want to get moving… so much preparation and energy has been put into the race ahead of this moment that you are just very keen to get rolling. Edwin Hargraves was principal Time Keeper (TK) again and riders were being ably held for the off by Andy Askwith. I chatted with many riders waiting to start, most with a mix of anticipation, excitement and trepidation for what lay ahead. I was asked to help hold up the tandem duo of Doug Hart and Christina Murray as they were counted down and here I noticed Doug’s frame bag stuffed full of fig rolls. Nice.

Greg’s bike was interesting, he’d fashioned carbon all up and around an integrated front light as well as having a sort of carbon drinks pannier on either side of his bike, these were filled with bladders of fluid that linked up to the front of the bike for easy sipping. Greg’s was the only bike with such a bespoke drinking system installed.

First Phase

After I’d seen all riders take the start line I chatted for a while with Edwin, Andy and another Trike rider (name escapes me) whilst they packed up the start line gear. Back at the HQ, the shutters were down and all sign of activity had vanished, so I made my way to the nearest garage to get a bite to eat and a coffee before heading down to the southern part of the course. I knew from previous rides myself that this part of the course is quiet in terms of support, so I wanted to park up and give some shouts of encouragement to the riders at a time where they may be feeling a little on their own.

I parked up just south of Harmer Hill on the southbound side of the road and it wasn’t long before I began to see some riders. When I saw any rider I rang my cow bell and shouted out some words of encouragement “keep it going”, “going well”, “keep at it” etc. I was also noting the time of passage and number of rider to see how long the stretch down and back up from Albrighton roundabout (RAB) was being covered in – faster riders were covering in ~15-20 minutes, and others were longer. Spirits were still high for many riders, folk were looking good with 20+ hours still to go.

I had borrowed a Jetboil from a friend at work and in between the riders lapping this area for the first and second time I made myself a coffee with the impressive Jetboil, after I’d fixed the ignition switch for it. It was very nice to sit in a comfy chair and sip some coffee that I’d just made.

First to appear on the second time round the Wem dogleg was rider #14 Charlie Stewart of Albion. He was looking in control and was tapping out a nice rhythm and also looking very co-ordinated with custom skin suit and custom titanium “Sturdy” TT bike. It was getting towards 18:00 at this time and you could begin to see the faster riders emerging by the manner in which they were riding. You could also begin to see the riders with some fatigue already. After I’d seen Greg come through and head back north for a second time, which was at 18:25, I packed up and got myself moving off to the Quina Brook circuit.

20 minutes later I was positioned in Coton at the exact spot where my crew set up on the Quina Brook circuit for my 2024 ride. I recalled spending far too much time off the bike here in 2024, faffing with layers, food and lights. Again, #14 Charlie was the first rider I saw on the circuit, followed a few minutes later by #49 Paul Watts, who was looking very rapid. I saw a steady stream of riders coming round the circuit including #30 Pete Bishop (24Hr Fellowship editor), #50 mixed tandem of Doug Hart and Christina Murray, #58 Greg Elwell (a friend who I would be supporting later) and #60 Lee Williams (reigning champion).

My phone rang at 19:30 and it was race organiser Tim Smith. He was busy learning the complex recording and grouping systems of the event from the Williams family, and needed me to help Rob Bailey with signage of the finishing circuit, so I got myself packed up and off to Prees Heath to join Tim, Bob Norton and Rob Bailey for a fish supper before the signage work began.

Shortly after arriving at Prees Heath island I bumped into Mike Broadwith and had a very pleasant chat with him. He was supporting mixed tandem duo Doug and Christina and was enjoying being at the event in support capacities. I caught up with Tim, Bob (and his wife Georgina) and Rob and we all ate dinner together at the chippy – nice.

Finishing Circuit Signage

After dinner, Rob got me a coffee for the drive over and soon it was time for us to head north west over to the finishing circuit to put course direction and informational signs up. We had a nice chat during the transfer and familiarised ourselves with the signage plan for each RAB and turn on the circuit. I’d ridden the circuit in the past 2 years events so I knew it very well.

It took a surprising amount of time to get this done which gave me a new appreciation of the efforts and unseen tasks necessary to put on such an event. We finished up the signage around 23:20 and I think Rob was glad to have had some company for the task. As we made our way back around the circuit we were checking our signage work and I noticed that one of the signs I’d secured to a lamp post earlier on was no longer there! I checked the photos on my phone and it was definitely attached to the lamp post in question… the sign was now nowhere to be seen and we could only guess that someone had taken it away? So, we had to open the van again and get another sign erected before driving back down to Prees Heath Island.

Prees Heath RAB – Night Shift

We arrived back to Prees Heath Island around 00:00, and I went straight over to my allocated post for the night – on the RAB. I was supposed to be there at 22:00, but Bob had told me not to worry as I was busy with signage and there was adequate coverage in place at the RAB already.

There were 4 of us on duty for the night shift: Nigel Briggs, his wife Janet, Chris Goode and myself. Our task for the night was to log the number and time of every rider that passed through the RAB – every lap. You may think this to be a simple task… but it is made more difficult by riders who don’t shout their number out, riders sometimes passing in close succession, the strength and glare of riders front lights preventing you from reading their arm numbers, and your own fatigue. These reasons are why there were 4 of us in place to record. Myself, Chris and after a while Andy Askwith, were the eyes and ears who established the rider numbers passing through. Nigel and Janet were writing the rider number and time of passage down on the lap cards. Of course we also all gave some encouragements to the passing riders as well. Nigel and Janet would periodically validate what times they had for each rider number on their own lap cards by asking each other what time they had for what rider. They had it sorted as they were experienced hands with this.

My loaned Jetboil came out again for coffee to help grease the wheels of wakefulness and we had a good rate of biscuit consumption between us. Conversation flowed easily overnight and we got talking about all sorts of things; cycling, racing, people, the riders, the event, the spate of trucks coming through from the Dublin-Holyhead ferry, and our favourite Müller products inspired by the local Müller bulk transport trucks from Market Drayton. There were clear gaps for some riders in their lap times, and when this was apparent one had to assume that the rider had taken a stop for whatever reason out on the Battlefield loop. Some riders took lengthy stops at the RAB just before reaching our recording position – you could see them enter tents/shelters, taking on food, resting or working through whatever challenge they were currently experiencing. Around 03:00 a crew member for rider #54 came to us and declared that #54 Dean Lubin had packed. A problem with the riders knees apparently. I messaged the news on the volunteer group chat so that Tim had been notified of the DNF.

Early Morning

The night’s sky started to lighten around 04:00, and this was the time where I started to get very sleepy. My conversation level had dropped and I knew I was close to needing a lie down. Around 04:30 I declared that I needed to head to the car and get my head down, to which the others were fine with. So, gratefully I headed back to my car for a short rest.

I had a self inflating mattress laid out in the back of my car and I was able to get some broken sleep on it for around 40 minutes. I may have been able to get more sleep than I did but it was becoming light and I was conscious of the race continuing on, and the volunteering task at the RAB. I made my way back to the RAB via the petrol station picking up a coffee en-route. Nigel, Janet and Chris had continued to log the rider lap times as morning had broken and were now nearing shift change. Riders were still circulating and I know from my previous 24s that morning is a time that represents progress in the event, so it’s welcome but… the riders still have ~8 hours of racing to get done, and it only gets harder. Before long we were joined by the incoming shift of David Clayton, Christine Minto and Phil Minto. A few other folk arrived as well to say hi and see how it was all going at the RAB.

Once official volunteering duties were handed off to the day shift I packed my stuff up into the car and then spent some time with some of the crews at the RAB. I chatted for a while with Audax club members and ride organisers at the unsupported rider tent, and also caught up with Mike again who was supporting the fast tandem duo. Riders had started to be directed back onto the Quina Brook circuit from around 05:45 which I know would have been a welcome relief from all the hillier Battlefield loops throughout the night. For a while I watched Sam Williams (long time Mersey Roads club organiser of the 24 Hour) and CTT’s Tim Smith (2025/2026 organiser) work through validations of lap cards, verifying the times for riders passage on different legs of the course. This seemed onerous but with the current manual recording system it also seemed necessary. There would surely be some kind of tracking system that could help with this? Cost could be prohibitive, but it must be worth some further consideration at some point? Anyway, Mike had donned some eye catching trousers for his second day…

Supporting Greg

Having felt like I had explored all that Prees Heath RAB had to offer in the 10 hours that I’d been there I was at a fork in the road. Should I head home and get some proper rest? Or should I stay and see the end of the race out? I decided to stay as I was enjoying the early morning atmosphere and I wanted to go and give Greg Elwell some encouragement. Greg had been lapping very consistently and was looking good for a very decent distance. Rhys, from Greg’s crew had messaged me through the night to see if I could shed any light on rider position, which was not able to be easily or accurately judged from the lap cards we were populating.

I knew Rhys was a couple of miles south of Prees Heath on the A49 so I drove down to meet him. I parked up at the junction which joins the A49 with a nice wide grassy area, a popular location for support crews. The first crew I saw was that of #60, defending champion Lee Williams. Unfortunately, Lee had decided to pack due to stomach difficulties which had prevented him from eating – a fairly common race killer on this event. Of course Lee, and his crew were disappointed.

As I approached Greg’s crew, I was impressed at the quality of the set up – 2x camper vans, a tarp between the two vans, a nice big table and some very comfy looking folding chairs. Reflecting on my crew’s set up in 2025 this was next-level! Rhys was getting some shut-eye as I arrived but as I said hi to Emma, one of Greg’s friends, Rhys woke easily. Sit-rep on Greg at that time was that he’d been going well through the first day and night but had began to refuse food and the crew were becoming concerned that he could be in danger of running low on fuel. He was lapping on the Quina Brook circuit, so we’d be seeing him pretty soon. First time I saw Greg in the morning he was doing OK, he didn’t want anything to eat but he drank a couple of things before getting on with the race again. Greg’s wife had been supporting, but had had to leave for a different commitment very soon after I met up with the crew. You could tell it was difficult for her to leave Greg, but he was good with it, thanking her for all of her support. Nice.

Rhys clearly knew Greg well for this kind of event and my suggestions of making sure he eats were heard, but answered with the factual reality of how Greg handles this situation… If he gets to a point where he’s being sick then it’s knocking on the game-over door. So, the strategy was to offer him a variety of foods and drinks, but not to insist on solid foods or gels. I had brought along my trusted 24Hr foods of Rice Pudding and Tinned Peaches and I offered these up as foods for Greg to try at his next stop.

Rhys’s partner, Amanda, had awoken from a sleep in their van and was now up with the morning crew, which consisted of Rhys, Emma, Amanda and now myself as a new member who didn’t know anyone.

The next time Greg stopped we had rice pudding, tinned peaches, chocolate milk, Red Bull and other foods and drinks on offer. Pleasingly, Greg hoovered up a few of the tinned peaches and followed them with some glugs of chocolate milk and then Red Bull. This felt like progress and if he could keep at it like this then we thought he’d be OK. In-between Greg’s appearances I was getting to know the crew and being offered freshly ground coffee, lovely warm croissants and various pieces of fruit and biscuits – all of which I said yes to. Greg’s friends were very kind and welcoming, accepting me into the crew warmly. On a couple of Greg’s stops he asked us to check that his wheels weren’t rubbing on anything as he felt he could hear/feel a rub out on the road. Spinning the wheels at a stop we couldn’t see anything and his wheels were spinning well.

The remainder of the time spent on the A49 was all about chatting, drinking coffee, rattling a cow bell and shouting encouragement at passing riders.

Finishing Circuit

I knew from the volunteer group chat that riders had begun to get diverted off the Quina Brook Circuit and towards the Finishing Circuit from 10:00, so the crew began to get packed up ready to move support locations. It didn’t seem to take them very long and I could see that Rhys and Amanda’s campervan was very nicely kitted out for cycling adventures. We all started making moves to transfer to the Finishing Circuit, passing several riders on the transfer over. The crew would head to TK4 which was atop a little rise in the road and I would head to TK1 just for a little while, as I was keen to get my head down again for 20 minutes and I knew it would be quieter at TK1.

I got my head down in the car and managed to get 20 minutes sleep. After waking, as soon as I’d seen Greg at TK1, I got myself moving to join the rest of the crew at TK4. I knew it would be fun there as several crews base themselves there because it is easy to hand up food etc whilst the riders come up the hill relatively slowly. As there are several crews, and the riders are in the closing stage of the race the encouragement levels are heightened, and it’s a lot of fun to give some loud shout-outs to the riders that you have been watching race throughout the previous day and night.

Greg was still looking fast and he was looking a little better on the finishing circuit than the competition – by the looks of things, #59 Paul Watts had gone hard in the earlier phases of the race and was now clinging on for the end. Other crews around us felt like Paul would get the win given what he’d managed to do in the earlier phases, but Greg kept piling it on and we knew he’d be up there for sure. More pit stops with tinned peaches and Red Bull kept Greg circulating well.

We were giving every single rider plenty of visceral encouragement as they passed up and down the road. A shout-out really does help to get the most out of you in the race. Now it was beyond 13:00, and we were expecting to see the earlier numbered riders finish. #8 Mandy Lane, was the first to finish at 13:08 (+ time to next TK). Mandy had looked good all race and had overcome some sickness to finish with a distance of 373.10 miles, which was enough to win the women’s National Championship! A great ride and a fantastic result for Mandy. Very well done to her.

We saw Albion’s #14 Charlie Stewart finish at TK4, and he’d improved on his 2022 distance of 472.5 miles by riding 481.74 miles, taking 5th spot. A classy ride.

Other riders that had caught my eye during the race were;

• #40 Geraint Catherall (290.85 miles) riding his 25th 24 Hour TT! I’d have been tempted to call time at No.24…
  
• #31 Mark Brownlees (298.11 miles) riding his first 24 Hour TT. Mark had a low cadence from early on and looked on the verge of stopping at points but he continued on and got it done!
  
• #55 Stuart Day (332.85 miles) on his Trike, and I know Stuart spent significant time off the bike during the night due to sickness… but he re-mounted, dug in and finished the ride. I know Stuart, and he has plenty of minerals for this lark.
  
• #30 Pete Bishop (373.92 miles) the 24 Hour Fellowship Journal editor always with a light pedalling style and a smile on his face.
  
• #44 Ben Cox (378.42 miles). One of the charges from Audax UK and a member of the winning team from 2025.
  
• #13 George Juckes (420.44 miles) the youngest in the race and his first 24 Hour TT.
  
• #35 Jack Rigby (440.75 miles) another younger first timer who put in a very good performance.
  
• #47 Barry Murphy (491.40 miles) a fantastic ride on his first attempt.
  
• #49 Adam Taylor (496.29) very close to the magic 500.

Around the time when we knew Greg would finish it became clear that he would finish at TK3, so we belted round in our vehicles to go and meet him there. I was first on the scene and Greg had just finished… elated in the knowledge that he had certainly gone over 500 miles, just how far over would be determined back at the HQ by the time keepers. I got a chair out for Greg and took his bike from him, but he didn’t sit down. Next on the scene were Rhys and Amanda followed by Greg’s Mum and Dad and also Emma. It was a lovely moment to watch them all congratulate Greg on his ride, they were all so very invested in what had been playing out in front of them. I gave my congratulations to Greg once again, thanked the crew for welcoming me in to their circle and then duly hit the road for home.

Paul Watts had indeed done enough to win the Championship with 532.68 miles at his 24 Hours. Greg, came in 2nd with 509.84 miles. Both amazing rides which deserve the utmost respect. This race is so hard that simply to finish it is a huge achievement, let alone with a distance in excess of 500 miles. They both join a historic elite list of riders who have managed to break through the legendary 500 mile barrier. What a ride from Greg, he’d really put the work in to make his ride a success through all of his training, preparation and sacrifice. Then, with the support, assistance and care of a decent crew he’d been able to put it together throughout this longest of time trials. It was great to be there.