It didn't run last year for the first time in about 20 years. It was an official audax event when I started riding in 2003 and I'm sure one of the old buggers more experienced audaxers will be along soon to regale you with tales of when Redstane Rigg was but a cart track
I think 1989 was the first year of the
Tour of East Lothian. I was looking through my old brevets earlier and I've got one for 1991, which I reckon was the 3rd year of its life. Not sure about the 1992 outing, but certainly by 1993 the title has been prefixed with
5th and 1998 with
10th.
I'm certainly not an "old bugger" (yet), but even I remember the
experience of climbing Redstane Rigg the first time. The descent down to the left turn
before Whiteadder Reservoir was probably worse, the "cart track" had still to be be layed, as was witnessed by the number of riders who punctured. The road thereafter to Garvald was just as bad and much hasn't changed in the intervening years.
Other than 2008, I think the only other year where the full experience of a Tour of East Lothian has been missing, was the year of Foot and Mouth (2001 ?).