The "modern Banbury Run ", the brainchild of Ivor Mutton, a dedicated VMCC and Royal Enfield enthusiast, started in 1949 and has always been a favourite with both competitor and spectator alike.

The idea for a reliability trial from Birmingham to Banbury was not new however, for before this there were numerous reliability events centred around Banbury, many run by the Auto-Cycle Union who liked to take advantage of the hilly surroundings of North Oxfordshire, where the public and manufacturers could test the performance of their machines.  The close proximity of this area to the main centres of motorcycle manufacture also played a part in its selection.

The Banbury Run, in it's present form, has likewise been centred around around north Oxfordshire and south Warwickshire, famously concentrating on the formidable "Sunrising Hill" on the Banbury-Stratford upon Avon road.

During its "modern" fifty plus year history, the event has started from numerous venues in and around Banbury including the Horsefair, Castle St car park, the former Automotive products car park (now the Banbury Cross retail park) and the old cattle market. 

More recently, the event has been starting from the grounds of Drayton School on the edge of Banbury to where, after a period out of town at Towcester Racecourse (due to alterations at the school) it made a triumphant return in June 2000.

In recent years, the event has become so popular that our maximum entry of 500 pre-1931 motorcycles is always oversubscribed and we make great efforts to ensure that the places of anyone unable to ride are taken by Reserves.  The event also has a Souvenir Programme of over 60 pages which is always an interesting read with many amusing comments from the competitors.