The MCC, almost uniquely among the clubs organising classic trials, has always been very proud of publicising the lengthy heritage of its events; for example, the 2024 Land’s End was heavily promoted as the 100th, and the 2025 Exeter as the 95th. But the Club has been comparatively coy about an equivalent promotion of the Edinburgh Trial, which is hardly surprising considered its intermittent history as explained in the [previous article]. So, even if the Club has been hesitant, I’m happy to go on record as saying …
The 2025 Edinburgh Trial is the 100th Edinburgh Trial.
The Facts
- The first Edinburgh was run in 1904, and it ran continuously every year, except during the First World War, up until 1939 which was the 32nd.
- When the MCC created the ‘new style’ Edinburgh in 1968 it was referred to as the 46th.
The Conundrum
- The first PostWar Edinburgh Trial, in 1947, was billed as the 33rd and, although starting in three locations, it finished in Harrogate. There was no Edinburgh Trial in 1948. The 1949 Edinburgh was billed as the 34th, although starting and finishing in Harrogate. The 35th Edinburgh was planned for 1950, but was cancelled.
- The first three Edinburgh Rallies, in 1951, 1952, and 1953, all finished in Edinburgh, with the 2nd Edinburgh Rally, in 1952, noted as “In substitution for the 37th Edinburgh Trial”.
- In 1954, the event was renamed as the 4th Whitsun Rally, finishing in Harrogate, and noted as “In substitution for the 39th Edinburgh Trial”.
- The first eight Scoots to Scotland, from 1957 to 1964, were all described as “Also a London to Edinburgh Run”, and they all finished in Edinburgh. There was no Scoot to Scotland in 1965.
- The 1966 Scoot was billed, on the Programme cover, as “The Ninth Scoot to Scotland and the Forty Fourth Edinburgh Run”. The 1967 Scoot was similar billed as the 10th Scoot and 45th Edinburgh.
The Question
- If the 1939 Edinburgh was the 32nd, how did the MCC Committee decide that the 1968 Edinburgh was the 46th?
The Answer
- They omitted the 1947 and 1949 Edinburgh Trials because, despite their billing at the time, neither finished in Edinburgh.
- They included the three Edinburgh/Whitsun Rallies which actually finished in Edinburgh (1951 to 1953) as the real substitutes for the 33rd, 34th, and 35th Edinburgh Trials.
- They included the 1st Scoot to Scotland (1957), the first event finishing in Edinburgh since 1953, as the real substitute for the 36th Edinburgh Trial.
- Which led, logically, to the 10th Scoot (1967) as being the real substitute for the 45th Edinburgh, and hence the 1968 Edinburgh as the 46th.
The Result
- Based on the 1968 Edinburgh being the 46th, and taking account of the years when it did not run (2001, 2007, and 2020), the 2024 Edinburgh was the 99th. [Note: The 2021 and 2022 Edinburghs were both described incorrectly at the time. The Programme for the 2021 Edinburgh states that it was the 97th, when it was actually the 96th , with an equivalent error for the 2022 Edinburgh.]
Therefore … the 2025 Edinburgh Trial is the 100th Edinburgh Trial.
