London-Edinburgh-London and Paris-Brest-Paris in charts
London-Edinburgh-London (LEL) and Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) are two long distance Randonnée (or Audax ) cycling events, held at four year intervals. The events are non-competitive, and there is a minimum time limit to discourage racing. The challenge for each rider is to reach each of the controls on the course and complete the event within the maximum time limit set by the organiser. Most randonees events range in distance from 100-600km, but LEL and PBP are much longer, at 1500km and 1200km respectively.
This site has been created to display analysis, charts and data visualisations built from the rider tracking data published for LEL and PBP.
LEL
London-Edinburgh-London participants follow a route through the Fens of the south, the Wolds and Pennines of northern England and the Southern Uplands of Scotland, before turning at Edinburgh to make the return journey to London. Riders support themselves on the road, but the route passes through a series of control points where food and basic sleeping facilities are provided. The event is organised and run by a team of hard working and enthusiastic volunteers, including many who travel from outside the UK to help out.
PBP
Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) is the premier event in the world of randonneuring, both in terms of the number of participants and the history of the event. The original PBP race dates back to 1891, but the event has run in its current randonneur format since 1931. PBP attracts entrants from all over the world, and is an ambition for many Audax riders. In 2023, 6430 riders from 66 countries started the event.