2026 IoW Randonnee
We have some exciting news to share - Cycleisland & the Wayfarers Cycling Club, after 40 years of being custodians of the Isle of Wight Randonnee , have decided it’s time to pass the handlebars over to a new team to take the event to new heights. From 2026, Mountbatten Isle of Wight will take over the running of the event and the next exciting phase of this enduring and hugely successful annual cycling challenge. The first of the changes will be that instead of its usual weekend in May, next year’s Randonnee will be held on 6 September 2026.
The Randonnee committee made the decision to start a new chapter with Mountbatten to ensure the continued viability of the Randonnee, as a charitable event. Given our need for increased human and other resources and having looked at other Island-based clubs and charities, we felt Mountbatten Isle of Wight had the experience, the team and the depth of local support to organise, plan and deliver our much-loved event, while also honouring its heritage and ethos. If Mountbatten had not said yes, the Randonnee may have disappeared from the cycling calendar altogether, or may even have been replaced by a commercial venture that put profit before our family-friendly fundraising cycling celebration. We acknowledge the change of date will not be right for everybody, but it is a challenge to find something that suits everyone. We have worked with Mountbatten Isle of Wight on the change of date and hope the new (non-bank holiday) fixture will mean a safer experience for participants, with quieter roads and, for those who cross the Solent to take part, the chance for slightly cheaper travel. Becky McGregor, CEO Mountbatten has confirmed Mountbatten’s commitment to pull the stops out to continue to grow and make this much-loved event a success and to honour the Randonnee’s heritage (including the collectable badges).
We'd like to thank you for your support over the years, Mountbatten are looking to maintain the connections with the schools and businesses that have supported us for so long. Look forward to seeing everyone in 2026 and beyond.
As with previous years....
The Randonnee follows the Round The Island (RTI) cycle routes in a clockwise direction and there will be a choice of 100km and 55km rides. The Event starts at 9am and finishes at 6pm.
Keep up-to-date with Randonnee news and the build up to the event by liking our facebook page
or following us on Twitter.
The IoW Randonnee was established by the Wayfarers in
1985 and uniquely follows a route around the whole of the Isle of Wight taking minor roads and
lanes where possible enabling the rider to see and enjoy the best of the Island's scenery. From
2026, it will be organised and run by Mountbatten Isle of Wight.
* we decided to fix the route to the Clockwise direction in 2013. The main reason for this is to alleviate the congestion on the Cowes floating bridge as hundreds of participants coming off the Red Funnel head off to start Anti-Clockwise and straight onto the floating bridge.
More details to follow...