Training plan · Cheshire
Cheshire Cat Sportive training plan 2027
Sunday 14 March 2027, Crewe or Burslem (to be confirmed). 167.5 km with 1,781 m of climbing.
In short
Give yourself 12 to 16 weeks for the Cheshire Cat on Sunday 14 March 2027, which means starting between late November and late December, with much of it indoors. The long route is 104 miles (167.5 km) with 1,781 m of climbing on open roads, and its hardest climbing comes early: Mow Cop's Killer Mile after about 30 km, 1.5 km at 11.3% with ramps over 20%, then the moorland climbs to Gun Hill. Build a long ride of around five hours, practise short, steep climbs, and pace the first half to pass 60 miles by 13:00, the cut-off in 2026. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 6 h 13 min, and takes 11:20 on Mow Cop at about 200 watts.
The Cheshire Cat at a glance
| Date | Sunday 14 March 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Crewe or Burslem (to be confirmed)source |
| Distance (Long) | 167.5 km (104 miles), 1,781 m of climbingsource |
| Distance (Medium) | 126.2 km (78.4 miles), 1,377 m of climbingsource |
| Distance (Short) | 82 km (50.9 miles), 490 m of climbingsource |
| Roads | Open roads: a challenge sportive, not a race, ridden to the rules of the road in groups of no more than ten.source |
| Start | Departures from 07:00 to 08:00.source |
| HQ | The routes published so far start and finish at Crewe Alexandra FC (CW2 6EB). The organiser's 2027 event page lists Port Vale FC in Burslem (ST6 1AW).source |
| Cut-off | In 2026, long route riders had to pass 60 miles by 13:00 or finish on the medium route, and everyone had to be back by 17:00.source |
| Feed stations | On the long route: Horton after 43.5 km, Goostrey after 88.7 km and Norley after 120.2 km.source |
| Mow Cop | The medium and long routes climb it; the short route does not.source |
| Entry for 2027 | Short £30, medium £35, long £40. No entries on the day: entries close on Sunday 7 March 2027.source |
| Organiser's estimate | Short 3 to 5 hours, medium 5 to 8 hours, long 7 to 10 hours.source |
| Timing | Chip timed, with the chip on your helmet.source |
The course and its climbs
Profile from WattPlan's model of the course (163.7 km routed over OpenStreetMap roads with SRTM heights, © OpenStreetMap contributors). The organiser's figures are in the table above, and their route is the one that counts on the day.
Your power and time on each climb
Enter your FTP and weight and WattPlan's route model rides the course for you the way a long day is best ridden: harder on the climbs, where a watt buys the most speed, and easier on the flat, at an effort you can hold to the finish. The figures below are for 230 W and 75 kg until you do.
| Checkpoint | km | Cut-off | Your riding time |
|---|---|---|---|
| The long route's split, 60 milessourcekm 96.6, cut-off 13:00 in 2026 | 96.6 | 13:00 (2026) | 3 h 48 min |
| Finishsourcethe finish, km 167.5, cut-off 17:00 in 2026 | 167.5 | 17:00 (2026) | 6 h 13 min |
Your riding time from the start, without stops and at an even effort all day: add your start time and your stops to see where you would stand.
| Climb | Summit (km) | Length | Average | Steepest | Your power | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mow Copsource1.5 km at 11.3%, up to 20.2%, top at km 31 | 31 | 1.5 km | 11.3% | 20.2% | 200 W | 11:20 |
| Biddulph Moorsource1.7 km at 7.3%, up to 12.7%, top at km 37 | 37 | 1.7 km | 7.3% | 12.7% | 197 W | 9:12 |
| Gun Hillsource2.7 km at 5.9%, up to 13.3%, top at km 53 | 53 | 2.7 km | 5.9% | 13.3% | 193 W | 12:13 |
| Barlow Hillsource2.2 km at 7.7%, up to 14.3%, top at km 60 | 60 | 2.2 km | 7.7% | 14.3% | 197 W | 12:22 |
Eat at about km 21, 36, 53, 72, 95, 116, 135. Riding something else? The free pacing calculator does this for any route from its GPX. In the app, Route analysis adds your own fade over a long day, the wind on the day and a pacing file for your bike computer.
How long to train for the Cheshire Cat
Twelve to sixteen weeks of structured training suits most riders for the long route, which means starting between late November and late December for 14 March. The organiser's own advice is to allow at least two months, and to ride about 75 to 80% of the event's distance and climbing within a few weeks of it.
Most of those weeks fall in winter, so plan indoor sessions for the dark evenings and the icy weeks. WattPlan builds the weeks from today to 14 March around the days you can ride, runs the indoor sessions on a smart trainer in the app, and adjusts the plan when a week goes wrong.
Mow Cop and the hills of the first 60 km
The medium and long routes climb Mow Cop by its steepest side, the Killer Mile up Drumber Lane and Station Road: 1.5 km at an average of 11.3%, with a steepest 100 m of about 20% and pitches that other sources put at 23 to 25%. It comes after about 30 km, early in the day.
The long route keeps climbing for the next 30 km: Biddulph Moor, 1.7 km at 7.3%; Gun Hill from Meerbrook, 2.7 km at 5.9% to the highest point of the route, 355 m, after 54 km; and Barlow Hill from Danebridge, 2.2 km at 7.7% and 10% in places. After that it is mostly downhill to Goostrey, then rolling Cheshire lanes and Delamere Forest.
Train for it on short, steep hills: fit low gears, practise climbing both seated and out of the saddle, and ride intervals of three to six minutes near threshold so a steep kilometre feels familiar. Ride Mow Cop at a pace you can recover from, because about 135 km remain at the top.
Pacing for the cut-off
In 2026 the long route had a cut-off of 13:00 at 60 miles, where it leaves the medium route: riders who missed it finished on the medium route, and everyone had to be back by 17:00. From a 07:30 start that means averaging about 17.6 km/h to the split, feed stops included.
The calculator above rides the course for your FTP and weight. Pace the climbs of the first 60 km evenly rather than racing them, eat from the first hour, and keep feed stops short: the organiser suggests leaving each one within 15 minutes.
March weather, bottles and feeds
Expect a cold start: the organiser warns that it is rarely anything but cold at 7am, so wear layers you can take off and carry a rain cape. Bring two full bottles, because they cannot be filled at the start.
The long route has three feed stations: Horton after 43.5 km, Goostrey after 88.7 km and Norley after 120.2 km. Eat every 45 minutes from the start, around 60 grams of carbohydrate an hour.
Where it starts in 2027
The routes the organiser has published so far start and finish at Crewe Alexandra FC, and the course on this page follows them. The organiser's 2027 event page lists Port Vale FC in Burslem as the HQ. If the 2027 routes change, we'll update this page, so check the official site before you travel.
Your plan to 14 March
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Sunday 14 March 2027 around the days you can ride, and eases off before the day. Take a rider with 230 W of FTP who rides 3 to 5 hours a week now and has an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and up to 5 hours on Saturdays: a 16-week plan starting Monday 23 November 2026 has 6 weeks of base, 6 of build, 3 of peak and 1 of taper. It opens at 4 hours a week and builds to 9.5, with a longest ride of 5 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the Cheshire Cat Sportive is filled in for you. Premium adds the whole plan to race day and adjusts it when you miss a session or ride harder than planned.
Questions riders ask
How long should I train for the Cheshire Cat?
Twelve to sixteen weeks suits most riders for the long route, so start between late November and late December for Sunday 14 March 2027. The organiser advises allowing at least two months for a challenge ride.
How hard is the Cheshire Cat Sportive?
The long route is 104 miles (167.5 km) with 1,781 m of climbing, the medium 78.4 miles (126.2 km) with 1,377 m and the short 50.9 miles (82 km) with 490 m, all on open roads. The medium and long routes climb Mow Cop's Killer Mile, 1.5 km at 11.3%.
How steep is Mow Cop on the Cheshire Cat?
The route takes the Killer Mile up Drumber Lane and Station Road: 1.5 km at an average of 11.3%. Its steepest 100 m averages about 20%, and other sources put its steepest pitch at 23 to 25%.
What is the cut-off on the Cheshire Cat?
In 2026, long route riders had to pass 60 miles by 13:00 or finish on the medium route, and everyone had to be back by 17:00. Check the 2027 rider manual when the organiser publishes it.
How long does the Cheshire Cat take?
The organiser estimates 7 to 10 hours for the long route, 5 to 8 for the medium and 3 to 5 for the short. In the latest results it publishes, the median long route time was 7 hours 26 minutes, feed stops included.
Where does the Cheshire Cat start?
The published routes start and finish at Crewe Alexandra FC, while the organiser's 2027 event page lists Port Vale FC in Burslem as the HQ. Check the official site before you travel; we'll update this page when the 2027 routes are out.
How much does the Cheshire Cat cost?
£40 for the long route, £35 for the medium and £30 for the short. There are no entries on the day, and entries close on Sunday 7 March 2027.
More event training plans
Sources
- Cheshire Cat Sportive, official site
- Cheshire Cat rider manual (2026)
- Velo29 beginners guide
- Cheshire Cat results
- Mow Cop, the Killer Mile (Cycling Uphill)
- Distance (Long)
- Distance (Medium)
- Distance (Short)
- Mow Cop
- Biddulph Moor
- Gun Hill
- Barlow Hill
WattPlan is not connected with the Cheshire Cat Sportive or its organiser. We've done our best to make sure everything here is accurate, from the details the organiser had published when we checked on Thursday 8 October 2026, and we'll update this page as more details come out. Confirm dates, routes and rules on the official site. Times and power figures come from a physics model and are estimates, not predictions of your result.