Audax UK or AUK is a British cycling club that oversees randonneuring in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1976 to help British riders complete the qualifying rides for entry to the Paris-Brest-Paris randonee. Audax UK is recognised by Audax Club Parisien as the official brevet-coordinating organization for the United Kingdom, although in practice events in Northern Ireland are organised by Audax Ireland. Audax UK members sometimes informally describe themselves as AUKs. By the end of 2018, Audax UK membership had exceeded 8,000 for the first time and 2019 will see the highest number of "calendar" events yet. These events are open to all riders, whether they are Audax UK members or not. The official magazine, Arrivée, is published four times per year.
Events
AUK coordinates and validates Audax events but does not organise any events directly; these are typically organised by existing cycle clubs, local Cycling UK groups, or informal local Audax groups such as "Audax Club Mid-Essex" or "Audax Ecosse". The events are non-competitive, with riders needing only to complete the ride distance within specified time limits. There are three types of rides:
Calendar events are organised with some similarities to sportives, although with more emphasis on self-sufficiency. Rides of 200km and above are known as Brevets de Randonneurs, whereas rides under 200km are known as Brevets Populaires.
A "permanent" is a designated route which can be ridden by the rider on a day of their choice. The attempt is subsequently validated by AUK. The routes have usually been used for calendar events in the past.
A "DIY" allows the rider to design their own route and the day of the ride.
In the 2017-18 season, 21,585 rides were completed and validated on 541 calendar events.
Notable rides
The notable calendar events include London–Edinburgh–London, held every four years; the National 400; London-Wales-London, a 400km ride from West London to the Wye Valley and back again; the Bryan Chapman Memorial, a 600km ride from South to North Wales and back again; and the Mille Pennines, a 1000km ride held in Northern England. In the 2018 season, the most popular events for each distance were:
The National is a 400km "flagship" calendar event originally organised by the CTC in 1982. This was re-established in 2012 and has been organised by a different local group each summer:
The Easter Arrow and Summer Arrow are team events in the Flèche style, in which teams have 24 hours to ride as far as possible and finish in York.
Time limits
The time limits for Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux rides are set by ACP as follows: ♦ 200km - 13 hours 30 minutes ♦ 300km - 20 hours ♦ 400km - 27 hours ♦ 600km - 40 hours Brevet Populaire events can be run at slower speeds than BRM events.
Points and awards
Points are awarded on the basis of 1 point for every full 100km ridden on rides of 200km and above. The AUK season runs from 1 October to 30 September each year. There are trophies for the highest scoring individuals and clubs each year. In 2018 these were won by Shaun Hargreaves and Four Corners Audax respectively. Audax UK allow members to qualify for numerous awards, as set out in the tables below. All distances are in kilometres. In parallel to the main points system, there is the Audax Altitude Award system for grimpeurs. AAA points are awarded on the basis of 1 point for every 1000m of climbing, rounded to the nearest quarter point and subject to a minimum climb rate which depends on the distance.
Distance Awards
Medals or cloth badges are available for individual rides of the following distances: 50km, 100km, 150km, 200km, 300km, 400km, 600km and 1,000km.
Randonneur Awards
The Randonneur awards aim to encourage riders to progress through increasing distances, and are awarded for rides completed within a single season. The Super Randonneur is awarded for completing 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km rides in one season. 458 riders completed an SR in the 2017 season. Entrants to Paris-Brest-Paris must ride this series in the same year as the PBP ride to qualify for a place. Some groups organise their own "Super Randonneur Series" of these distances, such as the Mid-Essex series and the Wessex series.
Brevet Awards
The Brevet awards encourage riders to keep riding over several seasons, with the exception of the Brevet 500 which is aimed at younger riders and is awarded for rides within a single season.
