Street Velodrome Brings Olympic Buzz to Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe’s Church Square was transformed into a high-energy and fun cycling arena on 21st and 22nd  of March as the UK’s first portable Velodrome rolled into town!

The event hosted by North Lincolnshire Council brought fun, competition through timed races between riders as well as Olympic level inspiration to families and cycling fans. Triple Olympic medalist Emma Finucane MBE, fresh from her triumphs with team GB at Paris 2024 (including team sprint gold)was on site with her medals, cheering on participants, helping out when she could with less confident cyclists and even taking a few laps herself. Emma commented “We had many kids and adults giving the Velodrome a go and coming away with a smile on their faces, I also had a go myself and thoroughly enjoyed it.”

​

North Lincolnshire Councillor Carl Sherwood said “To have an Olympian come to Scunthorpe is really exciting keeping active is great for physical and mental health". 

Additionally we had schools take part on Friday 21st of March as part of a school trip varying from all different ages ranges as younger and less confident cyclists were in safe hands due to the fully trained staff ensuring safety and enjoyment was in equal measure .

Each child showed enthusiasm and competitiveness as they would race one another trying to win as well as getting the best timed laps in order to get to the top of the leader board which gave cyclists extra motivation to be the quickest and encourage cyclists to have multiple attempts to try and beat their previous scores giving Street Velodrome a fun and competitive atmosphere.

​

Scunthorpe’s Street Velodrome was more than just a bike event- it was a celebration of community spirit, health and Olympic ambition all rolled into one. Its clear that initiatives like this leave a lasting impact with families with kids beaming with pride after their first track laps and the whole town centre felt alive. If you missed it in Scunthorpe, check Street Velodrome’s website or local council channels for more information and images about a memorable two days. If you attended the event please share your photos and stories on our Instagram channel @streetvelodrome

​

Article by James Graham Tuesday 1st July 2025