Discussion & Announcement list: https://groups.google.com/u/0/g/ner-6p-1200k
Dates: September 24-28, 2026 (Thursday-Sunday)
Rider Limit: 40 (for 1200k and 1000k combined)
Preliminary Route: https://ridewithgps.com/collections/2220558?privacy_code=TUY7a4ai2ewaDdiQc6b50m4EmX9bKZZR
Climbing: 39,128 ft. (11,926 m.) (RideWithGPS)
Entry Fee: $200. NER season pass holders will get a $50 discount (i.e. $150). . A finisher’s medal is planned. A room block will be available at the Residence Inn Manchester, but is not included in the entry fee. Membership in Randonneurs USA is required.
Qualification: At least one 600km brevet in 2025 or 2026, or permission of the organizers. 600k Permanents may be accepted; please contact us with any questions on qualification.
1000k Option: Same qualification and combined rider limit with the 1200k. The final day’s 200k will be offered as a 200k brevet, with no rider cap.
Registration: An application + payment reserves you a place on the rider list (or waiting list if the rider cap has been reached), pending your qualification.
Jersey/Vest: Jerseys (short sleeve, sleeveless) are being discussed.
The Ride
Stages – The recommended stages are to/from Manchester, NH, the common overnight checkpoint. Distances would be:
| Distance | Climbing | Route | |||
| 211.6 miles | 12,633 ft. | Kancamagus Highway Loop | |||
| 208.6 miles | 9,836 ft. | RI and CT Lollipop | |||
| 205.1 miles | 10,574 ft. | Vermont and CT River Valley Loop | |||
| 126.1 miles | 6086 ft. | York, ME and Nubble Light |
Services are few and far between in rural New England; if you do plan to ride through any of the nights, be prepared to go without access to food or water for the entire night. We will be staffing controls and routing past services in a way designed to give the most help to riders at the mid-to-back of the pack.
Lodging – The overnight venue at Manchester provides lodging and a strategy for organizing your nutrition, equipment, etc., in one spot. Riding the suggested stages means most of your riding should be in daylight, when stores are open and you can appreciate the scenery and wildlife. The suggested stages also allow riders to regroup as they desire in the morning, for added camaraderie.
NER has procured at room block at the Manchester Residence Inn. There are several other hotels nearby, as well as AirBNB and other options. The overnight venue will be a control on each day, and will have a volunteer-staffed area with snacks and tools throughout the ride.
Getting to Manchester – The host hotel is a little over an hour’s drive from Boston. Manchester also has a small airport, and often has lower prices than flying to Boston. The Manchester airport is 5-6 miles from the host hotel. Greyhound and Concord Coach run bus lines to the area (Manchester Airport or North Londonderry) from Boston and other points in New England, and may be able to accommodate bikes. (Concord Coach will generally let them go in unboxed as long as there’s room; Greyhound may be fussier.)
Climate – September is usually a comfortable, pleasant time to ride in New England, with chilly nights and balmy days, mainly sunny and dry. You should be prepared for chilly mornings and chances of showers.
Registration – Sending an application and entry fee gains you a spot on the Confirmed Rider List or – if the Confirmed List is full – on the Waiting List. This lets riders plan ahead before they’ve finished qualifying, while encouraging folks to free up their spots should their plans change.
Priority – Registration is first-come, first-served (based on when application and payment were received).
Payment – You may pay online using PayPal (using your credit card or PayPal account). US registrants may alternatively pay by check (in US$) … but online is strongly preferred; if you do plan to pay by check, you must send us an e-mail to that effect when registering.
RUSA – You must be a member of Randonneurs USA at the time of the event. Consult the RUSA join/renew webpage for details. This applies to international riders as well as US riders.
Qualification – You may apply before qualifying. If you have not yet qualified, note this on your application, and give us the details when you do complete qualifying. (Just send an e-mail with the details.) If you have not qualified by the qualification deadline and haven’t made special arrangements with us, your spot will be freed. If the qualification deadline poses difficulties for you, contact us.
Rider Cancellation – You may cancel by notifying us and receive a full refund if you are on the Waiting List, or a partial refund if you are on the Confirmed list. Details to come.
Pre-ride – There will be an unsupported preride during the two week window before the event. This is primarily intended as an option for people volunteering during the event, but we may be able to accommodate some additional riders. Contact us for more information.
Event Cancellation – If we have to cancel the event, riders will get a full refund minus a pro rata share of expenses we can’t recover – for example, lodging we can’t cancel, supplies we can’t return, etc. Some reasons we might be forced to cancel include storms/storm damage, or road construction or road outages that create a safety issue, or make the route impassable and that we can’t reroute around, or other safety issues posed to riders or volunteers. These are unlikely in New England in the fall, but safety is our top priority.