Sporting Cheltenham

Sport and outdoor pursuits are in Cheltenham's blood, starting of course with the very famous Edward Wilson, naturalist and explorer, and fatality of the Scott Expedition to The South Pole. It follows therefore that sport, and international sporting events are part of Cheltenham's daily life, gaining international following and acclaim. 

Undoubtedly we are most synonymous with horse racing. The magnificent Cheltenham Racecourse is known across the world as the home of National Hunt racing and the Gold Cup Festival in March. We have an enviable racing calendar, with 16 meets running annually, and we highly recommend putting at least one of these dates in your annual diary to truly understand and experience the buzz in the town! The Gold Cup Festival in March is by far the busiest, but we can also recommend first-hand the incredible atmosphere, and slightly more refined experience of any of the other annual meets. Find out more about racing... 

Excitingly, Cheltenham Racecourse has been selected as the host venue for the World Grand Prix Snooker in February 2019, which is a must-see! More information to follow as soon as we have it.

Cheltenham Cricket Club hosted it's first game on first game on June 21, 1897 against an XI including WG Grace. Since then, The Cheltenham Cricket Festival is one of the most loved events in the social and sporting calendar. The idyllic setting of Cheltenham College provides the perfect backdrop for cricket at the height of summer, so sit back, enjoy a glass of Pimms and take in this spectaular events - there's nothing like watching a game of cricket on a warm summer's day! Gloucestershire County Cricket Team has been playing in the stunning grounds of Cheltenham College for over 140 years, making this the world’s longest running cricket festival.

For football, head down to Whaddon Road and support Cheltenham Town Football Club. 'The Robins', our football league team, was promoted to league two for the 2016/17 season and offer a great traditional family day out. They also host many events throughout the year and run school holiday activities for kids.

For tennis and racquet events, East Glos Centre is home to tennis and squash courts and regularly hold County matches. This year between 23rd and 27th July, they are hosting the Ladies Tennis Summer County Cup Division Four.

Cheltenham is also home to Cheltenham Croquet Club, which was founded in 1869 and can claim to be one of the oldest croquet clubs in England! We lso have an outdoor boules centre, and numerous sporting facilities, including the Prince of Wales Stadium. 

In 2017, Cheltenham was a host town for the Tour of Britain cycling, which has seen extensive legacy work done for cycling in the Town, and this year in August we host the Mark Cavendish Cycling Sportive too. 

We are a great destination for outdoor pursuits, including walking, cycling and golf. Find out more...

Last but by no means least, Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester is the home of Gloucester Rugby and has played host to not just local but big international games.  They play in the English Premiership, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the European Professional Club Rugby competitions. Just 8 miles from Cheltenham, it is definitely worth a stay in our town if you are attending any matches or events there.