Making Sporting Events Inclusive - Impact Evaluation of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships was a pivotal moment in sporting history. The biggest cycling event ever, it brought together 13 championships, firmly placing Scotland on the international stage. It was a unique opportunity to tell a story - one about Scotland, and its people, and bringing together communities to be truly inspired by this event.

The event welcomed over 7,000 elite and amateur cyclists, including para-athletes, from 129 nations and more than 220 world champions were crowned, with thousands of spectators watching in awe.

The objective was to host a world class event driven with a purpose to make this an event for everyone and to reach out to new audiences, inspiring more people to cycle using the ‘power of the bike’ as a catalyst for change. In delivering these priority areas, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) was seen as integral to the design and an important part of the legacy to set a blueprint for future events.

In March 2022, EDI Consultants Mòr Diversity were appointed to work with the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to help it meet its commitment to EDI and ensure that the overall vision for the event was achieved.

In assessing whether the intended EDI outcomes and impacts of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships have been achieved, Mòr Diversity highlights the key successes in its Evaluation Report:

• This was the first time integrating para with non para-cycling in Dumfries & Galloway and Glasgow and to see para-cycling broadcast alongside non para-cycling was a significant moment.

• The Women’s Elite Road race was the first time a world championship has ever had a women’s race as the grand finale. This was a pinnacle moment in cycling with over 40% of spectators being women.

• An important part of the legacy has been to set a template for future major events on accessibility and inclusion. Working in collaboration with Euan’s Guide, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships produced ‘Planning for Inclusion’ Guidelines for each of the event delivery partners to work through as part of the build planning.

• Feedback from disabled people and spectators attending the event has shown their experience to have been a positive one: 97% of people who attended the event felt it was inclusive 95% of spectators with a disability found the event to be accessible (source: EY report).

• This was also the first major event in Scotland where sensory bags and period products were supplied at all venues.

• Over 90% of events were non ticketed which meant greater access to watch and take part in events.

• A commitment to focus on Women and Girls and other underrepresented groups in cycling was evidenced through the £1.5m Communities Cycling Fund.

• 90% of all paid media targeted non-core cyclists with a key focus on Women & Girls to increase the visibility of female role models across the sport.

• Ride the Worlds gave children and young people the opportunity to experience the thrill of racing to do this in both a competitive and non-competitive way. This project led by partner, Scottish Cycling, brought a strong connection with local community groups and cycling clubs to the event with up to 5000 participants in over 100 activations across Scotland.

• The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships was recognised for its efforts at the Herald & Gen Analytics Diversity Awards 2023 winning two categories - Diversity in Sport Award and Diversity by Design Awards, and also winner of the Access All Areas Diversity and Inclusion Award.