The Pan Celtic Race is owned by Pan Celtic Race Ltd. The registered business address is: 19 St. Davids Road, Llandudno, LL30 2UL, United Kingdom.

Before the Pan Celtic Race begins, a Rider Agreement will be provided to each entrant. This must be signed and completed by the entrant to enable them to take part in the event.

By continuing with this race entry, you acknowledge that you are happy to receive the Rider Agreement and will sign and return it, before the race begins.

Any entrant found not to adhere to any rules, guidance or notice issued by the Organisers may be disqualified and will not receive a finishing position.

Entrants wishing to enter the Pan Celtic Race are required to make a payment via the website checkout upon race entry. Special arrangements can be made, so get in touch if you foresee an issue

Conwy Town and County have many fine accommodation options which includes hostels, hotels, campsites, B&B’s and AirBnB’s.

The finish and party location is at Conwy Youth Hostel. We have block booked the Youth Hostel in Conwy for the night of the party, Tuesday 21 July. Limited places will be available on a first come, first served basis and further detail will appear in the rider manual.

It will be the responsibility of entrants to arrange their own accommodation at all times during the event.

Ok, here's the thing. It comes down to personal choice. As the organisers, we have to tread a fine line on whether we call these things races, rides, journeys, adventures, tours etc. You see, by billing it as a "race", we potentially leave ourselves open for future litigation recourse, perhaps more so than if we merely called it a "ride". Rightly or wrongly, it is one of the facts we have to acknowledge living in the modern world we find ourselves in.

Our primary goal is to have a framework in place that allows YOU to get from the start to finish safely and having fun while you're doing it (even if the rain comes). How you do that is completely up to you, providing you follow the rules. You may want to stop and take in all the majestic and awe-inspiring places we've got you riding past. Or you may want to stop along the way and sample a few wee drams of Whisky from one of the distilleries along the route or a refreshing cold beer from one of the hundreds of old, country pubs you'll be passing. 

We know, if we called it the PanCeltic Social Ride, most people would still race it in some form or other. Competition is an intrinsic fabric of our being. Evolution has yet to scrub that primal urge from consciousness. It can be exciting, exhilarating and makes for great tales to be had at the finish over a pint. 

For some it will be a race no matter what we called it and for others, it won't. We won't ask or tell you how to ride it. This is your choice. We just ask that you ride safely, be considerate, take regular rest periods and abide by the rules of the Highway Code. 

BE SAFE. BE SENSIBLE. BE SEEN.

There is no hard and fast finish time. You finish when you do.

However, in practical terms, the riders and the PCR Team cannot be on standby ad infinitum. WE have jobs to go back to, family waiting for us, etc. Therefore, the Party will take place 10 days after the start of the race. This will allow most riders to complete the route in time and be back in time for the celebrations and firm handshakes.

In past editions, with the finish being at the home of Matt and Bec, there has always been someone to see and welcome the riders in. Finishing not far from home in Conwy, it is highly likely a PCR Team member will greet you over the finish line with a cheer and a hug.

If you decide to take it really slow in the quest to be our Lantern Rouge, you may find an additional 4.5 mile penalty added to the ride to finish at Matt and Bec’s to have your brevet card stamped.

Tuesday 21st July at the Youth Hostel in Conwy.

You have insurance for your car, your house, your phone. All of the important things. Well, the insurance you need to ride the PanCeltic is there to provide cover for you if you happen to have a mishap. Let’s be clear from the off, there are generic risks associated with riding bicycles. They can range from a simple scuff on the elbow, through to a head injury, paralysis and potentially death. 

Insurance also provides cover should you find yourself in a third-party accident. Court costs, liabilities, fines can all add up and so having the correct level of appropriate insurance cover is essential. You will need to consult with insurance specialists to make sure you have the right cover.

We can mitigate these risks by taking necessary precautions and introducing control measures but all risk cannot be eliminated. Cycling long distances, over a long period of time, increases the risk of something happening.

By its very nature, endurance self-supported riding has a greater risk of something happening in comparison to popping to the shop on your bike.

The insurance is there for you and your loved ones should you find yourself involved in an accident.

Heck YES! We know the last thing you want to worry about is carrying additional kit and having it available when you get to the finish.

Rest assured that the Pan Celtic Team will keep it safe and secure and have it waiting for you for when you arrive back in Conwy.

PLEASE NOTE – Every year, without fail, we end up with a few waif and stray bags, waiting for their owner to claim them. Normally, they will sit in Race HQ in Llandudno for a few months before finally getting collected or sent on.

It really helps us if your kit is identifiable and left with us in a suitable bag. We’re not asking for school name tags in all your kit, but it’s unlikely we can reunite riders with an unlabelled carrier bag of generic cycling clothes and kit weeks after the event.

The Ultra (both Full & Short Routes) will commence early on the morning of Sunday 12th July 2026 in Conwy, North Wales.

Sign in will be open from 1200 on Saturday 11th July and close at 1900.

£475.00 plus admin fee (payable to third party)

Yes. There is currently good availability in the Youth Hostel in Conwy. Riders will need to book directly with the YHA for accommodation at the start. YHA Conwy

Other accommodation is widely available in the area if all the hostel places have been filled. Visit Wales

Yes. Your ferries between Holyhead and Dublin and Dublin and Holyhead are included in your entry fee.

We've chosen the July date for a few reasons:

Our race will be completed before the height of international summer tourism. Whilst Schools in Ireland begin summer holidays earlier, the rest of the UK holidays start after the race is finished.

We think it’s good to have the race completed before the largest influx of tourists in late July and August. We also try to avoid the half terms.

The long days will provide good light from early morning late into the evening, ensuring a good amount of rider visibility/safety, noting that riders may opt for only 4 hrs rest each day/night.

Although we are not historically blessed with good weather we hope for a better chance for drier and safer rider conditions.

You have to be aged 18 by the 1st July 2026 in order to take part as a solo rider.

We have sought guidance from the Event Insurance Providers for the 2nd part of the question following a question from a parent asking if their child could ride as a pair with them. The underwriters responded and confirmed they were happy to allow minors to ride. As parents ourselves, we have had to think long and hard about this. Would we take our child with us? Would we be happy for parents to take their child along with them?

We are mindful of the incredible experience it could be for a young person. A life defining undertaking that will shape them and live with them forever.

So, do we accept people under the age of 18? The answer is Yes. However, they would be required to abide to additional rules and procedures.

1. They are to be accompanied by a suitably experienced, responsible adult/ parent
2. They do not ride for more than 3 hours without a 30 min break
3. They do not ride between the hours of 22:00 – 06:00
4. They do not exceed 30mph
5. They are allowed to draft
6. They utilise additional and enhanced lights, reflective and high visibility materials

Further, each entry will be reviewed by the PanCeltic Team on a case-by-case basis. Parents/ guardians will need to provide supplementary evidence to support the application of the minor, covering areas such as past cycling achievements, ability, distances ridden, self-supported experience, etc.

Interested adults should email the PanCeltic team at info@pancelticrace.com in the first instance and we can discuss further.

Yes, I may well have agreed with you some time back and asked the same question. The surprising thing, is that when you start looking at what it takes to run something like this (aside from the hundreds of hours putting it altogether) are all the hidden costs you just don’t consider being a “punter”.

One thing we want to make clear from the off, is that we are not about making a quick buck at the expense of participants and people who follow the race. The Pan Celtic vision, is just that, a vision without the riders, characters and personalities who will breathe life into her (yes, we see it as a her).

We have to make the race financially sustainable as have an amazing long-term dream we want to share with you. We are sticklers for value for money and resent paying inflated prices for anything. We want you to see the value in what we are offering and have an appreciation of some of the hidden costs we have had to factor into the pricing.

The list is far from definitive but here are a few to consider:

• Race Insurance Liability Cover
• Website design, graphics, domain registering, hosting, SSL certification, MailChimp, Text Messaging etc
• Tracker hire, platform hosting and delivery
• Hire of Race Start venue
• 2* Crewed Checkpoints with food and drinks for you.
• Support staff costs at checkpoints (payment, food, drink, travel)
• Finish party venue
• Storage and transporting bike boxes, bags etc
• Photography and Film crews
• Vehicle hire, insurance and fuel.
• Ferry crossings for every rider.
• Costs associated with in-person route recce-ing and assessment of the full course
• Film premiers and Gatherings

*1 checkpoint for Intro subject to arrival time.

Yes, that’s right. Trackers are an important element of an event like this. It gives people at home an insight into your progress and allows DOT Watchers the world over to have the opportunity to track and analyse every decision you make.

They are also essential for the PanCeltic Team to monitor your progress and keep our beady eyes on you at all times. We will know when you have stopped at the pub for lunch, or called in at a local supermarket to stock up on essentials. They transmit and record all of your ride telemetry and is an important tool to help ratify results at the end of the ride.

We are using a new provider for tracking and platform for 2026. We will not be offering discounts for riders who have their own trackers.

There will be a £50 cash deposit required for the tracker, payable at sign on in Conwy.

Conwy is easily accessible by road.

Whilst it has its own railway station, the nearby Llandudno Junction is the most convenient station for rail passengers. Hourly services from London with Avanti West Coast and more frequent services from Holyhead and Manchester with Transport for Wales. Don’t forget to book your bike on for any train journey.

Enterprise Car & Van Hire are the nearest national chain for those considering one-way hires.

Yes, you can change route as many times as you like. However, a few weeks before the start, we will be printing the brevet cards, so make sure you've decided by then. We will send out reminders.

Riders of the Intro route are not permitted to change distance without a payment uplift.

UP TO 31 JANUARY 2026
50% refund for all routes.

BETWEEN 1st–29th FEBRUARY 2026
30% refund for all routes.

1st MARCH 2026 ONWARDS
No refund or transfer can be made for all routes.

There should be sufficient time for everyone to make the outbound ferry from Holyhead. Return journeys will be on a flexi ticket and it will be the responsibility of each rider to manage their own booking. Any additional costs will be the responsibility of the rider.

Full details on ferry times and routes will be published in the rider manual which will be issued closer to the start date.

A teaser will be announced at the Leeds Gathering on 6th December.

Full route details and gpx files will be released closer to the start date due to potential route deviations between now and then.

Early bird entry will be available at the Leeds Gathering on 6th December.

Open entry will be available 24 hours later.

If you have always thought the Pan Celtic Race is too hard or too big a commitment, we have come up with a way for you to join the Clan. The Pan Celtic Intro, is an exciting development for those new to ultra endurance racing and bike packing. With fewer steep hills but still the same level of opportunities to build experience of ultra racing, the Intro will allow you to make new friends and visit places you’ve never dreamed of.

We will be offering a challenging but shorter version of our self supported endurance series. This can be enjoyed over 3 days or 10 as a race or a tour. Bike packed, using hotels or a combination of both. You don’t have to do it on your own, the option to buddy up as a pair is also available.

The route will be in the region of 400 miles in length, experiencing most if not all the Ultra route to get you to the checkpoint in Ireland, from the start and finish point at Conwy. There will only be one checkpoint to make along the route where you will get your brevet card stamped.