A cycling club said it is 'honoured' to be hosting a national cycling championship.

Muckle Cycle Club, a road cycling club and race team based in Newcastle, said it is 'honoured' to host the well-established British National Hill Climb Championship at Dipton Mill Road, Hexham.

The competition unites the nation's best uphill cycling specialists. 

The hill climb season runs throughout September and October, with races every weekend in different regions of the country.

The season culminates with the National Championships on the last weekend of October, where hundreds of the best riders throughout the UK compete.

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Muckle Cycle Club plans to make this year the biggest and best edition of the race yet.  

There will be 370 riders competing between the ages of seven to 79 with prizes in the male, female, junior, and veteran age groups.

The race starts at 9am on October 27 and runs in a time trial format where each rider sets off one at a time in 30-second intervals.  

Dipton Mill Road will be closed from 7am to 4pm. There will be a 20-minute interval from 11.30am to 11.50am where the road will reopen to allow access for any residents of Dipton Mill Road and Intake Road that require it.

The course is 1.2 kilometres long, at an average gradient of 9.8 per cent. The start line is a short walk from the town centre and the junction with the B6306, and the finish line past the junction with Yarridge Road. The event headquarters will be at Hexham Racecourse, where there will be food vendors and the post-race prize-giving.   

Former National Hill Climb champion and professional cyclist turned commentator and TV pundit, Adam Blyth, will provide live commentary.

The event will fundraise for Tynedale Hospice at Home and a raffle will take place afterwards at the race course with prizes up for grabs. 

A spokesperson for Muckle Cycle Club said: "We are anticipating a fantastic party atmosphere on the hill. The race will make a great family day out for cycling fans, or just people wanting to experience the peculiar and eccentric world of UK hill climbing, which is steeped in history and superhuman athletic performances. We’re encouraging as much noise as possible so bring a cowbell, or a wooden spoon and pan, and get ready to cheer a lot.

"One byproduct of the National Hill Climb Championships will also be increased revenue for the town. As well as the crowds of spectators visiting and spending money in Hexham on the day of the race, many of the participants will be paying for local accommodation and spending money on hospitality over the weekend.  

"The National Hill Climb Championships attracts all the national cycling press and some of the largest crowds you can expect to find at a bike race in the UK - in terms of an amateur cycling event this is probably as close as you can get to experiencing racing through the crowds at a Tour De France summit finish."