Cycling Time Trials (CTT) is campaigning to find a new organiser for Britain's iconic National 24-hour Championship, after Jon Williams announced that he is stepping down after 17 years at the helm.
Unless someone steps up, there was a very real chance the event would not feature on the 2025 calendar, Cycling Time Trials said in an email sent out to subscribers.
The event, held every July, has produced storied champions and rides including, in recent years, triple winners Michael Broadwith (Arctic Aircon RT) and Christina Murray (Army CU), and this July Adam Wild (GS Metro), whose 546.36 miles was a new competition record.
Broadwith went on to beat the 'impossible' Land's End to John o' Groats record in 2018. At the time he told Cycling Weekly that he had a great affinity for the National '24', crediting it for much of his love of long-distance riding and even asking Williams to be his 'pusher off' at the start of the LEJOG record ride. He also wore his '24' number – 85 – for the attempt.
While riding and finishing the event is clearly a feat not to be taken lightly, organising it also requires a fair bit of effort, with various loop and a lot of marshals in operation.
It has been run by Mersey Roads club and more specifically, various generations of the Williams family since Jon Williams's grandfather took it on just after the Second World War. It was then organised by his children and now Jon Williams, whose daughter handles most of the online aspect to the organisation.
Now 68, Williams told Cycling Weekly that he hoped somebody new would be able to give the event a new lease of life: "It needs someone with new ideas, and who's more capable on the internet," he said, adding that he would always have a soft spot for the race.
"I've been going to the '24' since I was born," he said. "My mum and dad have always been involved, and my grandad was involved…"
The race will no longer be organised by the Mersey Roads, Williams confirms, but says he will still help out if he can.
"I'll be happy to help, or offer any pearls of wisdom if I can," he says.
In her email, sent out to riders, CTT chair Andrea Parish wrote: "The National 24-Hour Championship is the pinnacle of ultra-endurance cycling, representing the longest event promoted by Cycling Time Trials.
"The dedication needed to take part is immense, matched only by the remarkable commitment of Jon Williams and his family... Their efforts have been deeply appreciated by the CTT Board and the broader cycling community."
