# Fred Whitton Challenge 2027 (Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge)

> The public entry ballot for Fred Whitton Challenge 2027 is expected to run ~1 Dec 2026 to 10 Dec 2026, estimated from the last cycle; entry is free.

- Canonical: https://theticketlottery.com/ballots/fred-whitton-challenge-2027
- Sport: Cycling
- Status on 2026-09-08: Announced
- Public ballot: yes
- Access: draw
- Ballot type: free-entry draw
- Opens: 2026-12-01 (estimated from the previous cycle)
- Closes: 2026-12-10 (estimated from the previous cycle)
- Event dates: 2027-05-09
- Location: Grasmere, Lake District, United Kingdom (112-mile route over the Lakeland passes)
- Organizer: Fred Whitton Challenge (title sponsor Wheelbase); charity event supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and Cumbrian air ambulance, mountain rescue and youth cycling causes
- Entry cost: Free to enter the ballot (ballot tickets on RaceBest are priced GBP 0.00); you pay the entry fee only if drawn.
- Eligibility: Minimum age 16; no cycling club membership required; solo entries or all-or-nothing group entries of 2 to 4 riders; anyone submitting multiple entries is excluded from the draw.
- Ticket prices if you win: GBP 125 + processing charges (general and deferred entries); GBP 65 + processing for volunteer entries; GBP 325 + processing for special charity entries (includes a GBP 200 non-refundable donation).
- Official site: https://fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk/entry/
- Last verified: 2026-08-31 (confidence: high)

## Where it stands

The ballot for the 2027 ride is not open yet. The official entry page now publishes a dated calendar: pre-ballot entries (special charity, deferred and volunteer places) open 2026-11-02, the general ballot opens 2026-12-01 and the general ballot closes 2026-12-10. The event is 2027-05-09.

## How to enter

Enter the free ballot hosted on RaceBest between 2026-12-01 and 2026-12-10; results follow in mid-December 2026 and successful entrants pay then. Pre-ballot entries open 2026-11-02 for special charity (North West Air Ambulance, Great North Air Ambulance, Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue), overseas, deferred and volunteer places; volunteering at the event guarantees entry the following year.

## Your odds

Official site: over 5,000 riders apply for over 2,500 places, so roughly 1-in-2 odds. Group entries succeed or fail together.

## Good to know

Discovered companion record for this cluster (UK sportive with a genuine public ballot). Event date May 9, 2027 is official. The official entry page states the 2027 ballot opens 'beginning of December 2026' and closes 'mid December 2026' with results mid-December; opens_at is set to 2026-12-01 to match that wording and the prior cycle (the 2026-event ballot ran December 1-12, 2025 with results December 15, 2025), but the exact day is flagged estimated until RaceBest lists it. Entering the ballot is free; payment is only taken from successful entrants.

## Sources

- https://fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk/entry/
- https://fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk/
- https://racebest.com/races/27sw3