National Hill Climb Championships 2024

Dipton Mill Road – Sunday 27th October 2024

Where do you even begin with this one?! For a club founded on a love of riding up hills, hosting the National Hill Climb Championships was something truly special – undoubtedly the biggest moment in Muckle’s history to date. So much hard work from so many people went into making the race what it was, and I reckon we pulled it off! If you were there on the day, you don’t need me to tell you what an unbelievable atmosphere it was.

I’ve been to a few National Hill Climb Championships over the years, and I can confidently say the crowd support this time around was on another level, the noise on the climb was unreal, the sort of stuff that gives you goosebumps.

It was also our most successful outing at a nationals: seven Muckles in the top 50, and we came just 12 seconds shy of taking home the team prize, thanks to massive rides from Marcus Cram, John Bowman, and Adam Pinder. And here’s a great little nugget Colin told me after the race – IF there had been a vets team prize, Muckle would’ve won it with John, Colin, and yours truly! Maybe we should sponsor one next year?

Top Muckle on the day was Marcus Cram with a phenomenal 6th place – made even more impressive considering his less-than-ideal pre-race prep. Marcus also put in a staggering amount of work behind the scenes as lead organiser, and a huge part of the day’s success is down to him.

The first real challenge came early in the year, when our regular course on Prospect Hill in Corbridge was ruled out due to a landslide and road repairs. We held off switching for as long as we could, but in July we bit the bullet and moved to Dipton Mill Road. In the end, I think it turned out to be a blessing. Its proximity to Hexham made things easier for riders and spectators, and the racecourse HQ worked a treat. Plus, the slightly shorter climb made for a tighter race – just look at the top 10, where four riders were separated by less than a second!

Aside from that, our only other hiccup was announcing the wrong winner in the V50 age group. That honour of course went to Muckle’s very own Colin Atkinson – fastest in both V55 and V50. Thankfully, we caught the mistake quickly and had Grandad Watts up on the podium where he belonged, before the ink had even dried.

Marcus on his way to 6th place

We were genuinely bowled over by the support from the people of Hexham and the local residents. Sure, we had the odd Facebook warrior moaning hilariously about “unsupervised cyclists,” but in the real world, the atmosphere was full of positivity, encouragement, and smiles from start to finish.

Now, of course, we have to talk about Harry. There’s no doubt – among the Muckles and beyond – that he’s a worthy winner and an absolute character, in the best possible way (full English fry up before the race, and copious pints of guiness after). I chatted to him before and after the race, and he’s a brilliant, down-to-earth bloke – and obviously a phenomenal bike rider. Sadly, I bottled it when given the chance to write something witty or rude on his frame, (someone beat me to the classic cock and balls) opting instead for a simple “Love from Muckle CC” on the inside of the fork. After the ride he gave us, I think we all share that sentiment.

In summary, it was a day we’ll never forget – everything seemed to align. The weather was perfect, the crowds were wild, and the racing was tight. Adam Blyth brought a brilliant energy to the day and was great craic throughout. The food vendors were excellent and got an absolute clattering now everyone was off their hill climb diets (special shoutout to the pizza van), and our charity raffle raised a fantastic sum for good causes. It was a massive moment for our club, and we couldn’t have asked for a better day. Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it happen – roll on next year!