Race Against the Sun is an overnight driving challenge in England running from Land’s End in Cornwall to Ness Point in Lowestoft, Suffolk. It crosses the country from west to east on the shortest night of the year. Setting off at sunset from Land’s End, the westernmost point of England, the journey follows a coast to coast route to Ness Point, the easternmost point in England, with the goal of completing the drive before the sunrise.

The route is approximately 435 miles, with the aim of completing it in 6 hours and 54 minutes. The challenge is ideally undertaken on the night of the summer solstice, the shortest night of the year. Effectively turning the journey into a race against the sun. In a typical year, the summer solstice falls on 21 June, while in a leap year it shifts to 20 June.

The idea was first introduced in 2009 by Chris Small, a member of the PistonHeads UK Online Forum, who proposed the challenge. The original run consisted of just three cars. However, Jeremy Clarkson’s attempt at the challenge on Top Gear in 2011 helped make it popular among motoring enthusiasts across the UK and beyond. The segment, which aired in Series 16, Episode 6, can still be viewed on the Top Gear Classic YouTube channel under the title “Jeremy Clarkson Races the Sun!“

Can we drive 435 miles in 6 hours and 54 minutes to beat the sunrise?