The first bicycle race in the Park was at the Red Rose Cricket Club sports, which were held on 16th April 1870, the meeting included a one mile bicycle race for a new silk hat. The GWR Cricket Club athletic sports were first held in 1871 and quickly became an annual event. A one mile bicycle handicap race was included and the racing took place on marked out grass track, just over a quarter of a mile in length.
At the 2nd May 1874 GWR sports. There were eight starters in the bicycle race, which was won by E Bartlett of New Swindon, who had the advantage of having a much larger wheel than the other competitors. First prize was a meerschaum pipe and tobacco pouch, second prize was a bicycle lamp. There were 2,500 spectators and in the evening, a ball was held in the drill hall. The GWR sports were held for the next twenty years and were the major sporting event in Swindon.
At the September 6th 1879 meeting there was a one mile bicycle race which was won by long marker, R Lindsey on a 47 inch machine from F Thomson (52 inch) and A Feltham (48 inch). Rider's machines ranged from 47 to 54 inch wheel diameters.
Other organisations promoted sports meetings at the Park, the first Widows and Orphans charity event was on 26th June 1880 included a two miles bicycle race. The Forester's Fete on Whit Monday 1881 included bicycle racing. Swindon Bicycle Club was formed in 1877 and disbanded in 1880, it then re-formed as Swindon Amateur Cycling Club in 1881 and was the leading club in Swindon.
At the 1889 GWR sports, the one mile handicap race was limited to local riders and there were twenty nine entries, sixteen were riding ordinaries and thirteen on safeties, the first three in the final all rode safeties. In 1891, the Wiltshire County Ground Company opened their new ground in Swindon which had a cinder bicycle racing track, this had an impact on the bicycle racing at the Park.
The GWR Cricket Club sports continued and in 1891, the Swindon Advertiser reported the results and commented "Of course the card was marked with the stereotyped phrase 'Betting strictly prohibited' but this was taken little or no notice of, for more than one London 'booky' was to be seen carrying on his business."
The last bicycle racing at the GWR Cricket Club sports was on 15th June 1895, when some 3,000 people attended. The grass track, which seemed to have produce complaints every year, had not improved and three riders came to grief on the same corner. The sports included the classic one mile invitation bicycle race for local riders, which was won by S Ward of Swindon Amateur BC.
The Swindon Licensed Victuallers held their first annual sports on Easter Monday 1905, at the Park, with four bicycle races, one and two miles open handicaps, a one mile novices local handicap and a bicycle relay race. This was probably the last bicycle racing at the Park, the Licenced Victuallers moved their sports to the County Ground in 1906.
** The famous cricketer WG Grace was dismissed for a 'double duck' at the ground, by a local man, the only time in Grace's career that this happened to him.