The opening phase of the 2026 British Hillclimb Championship, presented by Nova, has delivered exactly what fans hoped for – a three-way fight between defending champion Matthew Ryder, Will Hall and Wallace Menzies, with barely a tenth of a second separating the leading contenders at many of the season’s run-offs.

Now, nearly halfway through the season and five venues into the campaign, the title battle remains wide open, with momentum swinging from event to event. Here’s your catch-up before we head to Doune in Scotland.

Prescott: Hall and Ryder Trade Early Blows

The season burst into life at Prescott, where Ryder and Hall immediately established themselves as the men to beat. Ryder claimed the opening run-off victory, while Hall fired back in Round 2, ensuring the pair left Gloucestershire level on points after the first weekend.

Behind them, Menzies showed his customary speed, confirming that a familiar three-way championship battle was taking shape. One of the stories to emerge from Prescott was Alex Summers, who, in an 1100cc machine, managed to take the fight to the bigger cars, taking home a brilliant seven points from two runs.

Craigantlet: Records Fall as Ryder Takes Control

If Prescott provided intrigue, Craigantlet provided history.

On the demanding Northern Irish road course, Menzies, Hall and Ryder all dipped beneath the long-standing hill record. Ryder ultimately emerged with a perfect double victory, becoming the first driver to break the 39-second barrier before lowering the benchmark again later in the day.

Hall finished second in both run-offs by microscopic margins, while Menzies completed a brace of podiums. The performances cemented the leading trio’s status and handed Ryder an early championship advantage.

Elsewhere, Dean Tighe, who won the hearts of British hillclimb fans with his pilgrimage to the UK, became the first Australian in the modern era to pick up a championship point – six, to be precise, in Northern Ireland.

Harewood: Ryder Recovers, Menzies Strikes Back

The championship moved to Harewood, where the drama continued. Ryder overcame an opening setback to recover strongly, while Menzies secured his first run-off victory of the season.

Hall’s consistency again paid dividends, with two runner-up finishes allowing him to move to the top of the championship standings despite not taking a win.

Paul Haimes also announced himself as a contender with an impressive performance that hinted at stronger results to come.

Gurston Down: Ryder Closes the Gap

At one of the fastest hills in the country, Ryder returned to winning form. The reigning champion claimed both run-off victories to reduce Hall’s championship lead, while Menzies remained firmly in contention with another pair of podium finishes.

Behind the leading trio, Haimes enjoyed his strongest weekend of the year, securing fourth place in both rounds. Alex Coles also continued his impressive progress, strengthening his position in the top five of the standings.

By the end of the weekend, Hall’s advantage had been reduced to just four points.

Shelsley Walsh: Hall Produces a Moment of Magic

The latest chapter came at the sport’s most historic venue, Shelsley Walsh, where Hall delivered one of the standout performances of the season.

In front of a packed crowd, he lowered the outright hill record with a stunning 22.33-second ascent, writing his name into the venue’s history books. The achievement provided a significant boost in the championship battle and underlined the extraordinary level currently being reached by the championship’s front-runners.

Championship Picture

After eight rounds, the 2026 season has evolved into a fascinating contest between Hall, Ryder and Menzies.

Hall’s relentless consistency has kept him at the summit for much of the campaign with 96 points, but Ryder’s recent victories at Gurston Down have dramatically narrowed the gap. He now sits on 87 points, while Menzies remains close enough to capitalise on any mistake from the leading pair with 83.

Trevor Willis is enjoying a strong campaign in fourth place, with some of his favourite hills still to come. Dave Uren had a troubled start to 2026, but a second-place finish in the most recent run-off at Shelsley Walsh has lifted him back into the top five.

Paul Haimes began the season hoping simply to secure a championship number for 2027, and that ambition is looking increasingly achievable as he sits sixth, ahead of Alex Coles in seventh and former champion Alex Summers in eighth.

Avid Warburton is growing in confidence as the season progresses and would dearly love to hold on to his current ninth place, with Jonathan Varley hot on his heels in tenth.

Check-In with the BHC Cup

Over in the BHC Cup, presented by BMTR and supported by Hoosier, Richard Snow hit his stride early with a scintillating run in his Porsche GT4 RS, capturing class-winning points to put him in the overall lead.

Jonathan Varley is performing strongly on two fronts, with a top-10 overall championship position and second place in the Cup representing a strong start to his 2026 campaign.

Rapid Richard Price, in his Caterham, is always one to watch and is tied for second with Varley, sitting just five points clear of Paul Talbot and his mighty Mini 1275 GT.

The Cup is open to all competitors, with points awarded according to class results, creating an eclectic mix of machinery ranging from standard road cars to top-line single-seaters.

For Goulds, Porsches, Alfa Romeos, Van Diemens, Subarus and Hillman Imps alike, there is competition and battle throughout the results table.

Hillclimb fans still have plenty to look forward to, with trips to Scotland, the Channel Islands, Devon and Shropshire still to come. Next time out will also see the launch of the 2026 Tin Top Challenge, presented by AET Turbos, adding another exciting layer of competition in the closed-roof classes.

With outright records already tumbling at Craigantlet and Shelsley Walsh, and several run-offs decided by mere hundredths of a second, the championship is shaping up to be one of the closest and most compelling in recent memory.

As the series heads into the heart of the summer schedule, the question remains unchanged: can Hall maintain his advantage, can Ryder complete the comeback, or will Menzies launch a charge of his own?

If the opening rounds are any indication, the answer is likely to remain uncertain right up until the final few events of the season.