Cheltenham Times is introducing a new local sport patch: hillclimbing, the motorsport discipline run right on Cheltenham’s doorstep at Prescott Speed Hill Climb in Gotherington.
What is hillclimbing?
In a hillclimb, cars set off one at a time and race the clock up a fixed hill course, rather than competing wheel-to-wheel. At Prescott, that course twists just under a mile up through the Cotswold escarpment, and the fastest time up the hill wins.
Why Prescott matters
Prescott is owned and run by the Bugatti Owners’ Club and is one of the best-known hillclimb venues in the country, hosting rounds of the British and Midland Hill Climb Championships each season alongside historic and classic car meetings.
The championship season
The British Hill Climb Championship runs across the year at venues around the UK, with Prescott traditionally hosting the season opener in April and, this year, the closing, title-deciding round on 19-20 September 2026.
Watching at Prescott
- Meetings typically run across a weekend, with practice on the Saturday and competitive runs on the Sunday.
- Spectators can walk sections of the hill course to watch from different vantage points.
- Bigger meetings add extras such as trade villages, historic car displays and food and drink.
Cheltenham Times will be covering the Prescott hillclimb calendar under this new Hillclimbing section, including previews and results.
Sources and further reading: Prescott Speed Hill Climb British Hillclimb Championship calendar
