Land’s End to John O’Groats is a classic cycling challenge, and this summer The Children’s Centre is again offering the chance to ride the 910-mile route. This will be the third year in a row the charity has organised a LEJOG Cycling Challenge and in that time 34 have completed the epic distance raising a total of more than ?30,000 for the Island’s leading charity for children and families.
This year the riders begin their challenge on June 29, the same day as the Tour de France embarks on its 100th edition! The LEJOG ride takes place over nine days and covers almost as many miles as the Tour riders will in the first nine days of the race - riders in the world’s greatest bike race will cover just 16 miles more than the LEJOG team in that time. LEJOG incorporates two weekends and one Bank Holiday to minimise the number of days off participants need to take from work. Mark Eastham, Fundraising Co-ordinator for The Children’s Centre, said:
“Not every cyclist can ride the Tour de France, but riding Land’s End to John O’Groats is a challenge in its own right that is achievable for most people. Even inexperienced cyclists can tackle it, but riding with a group and having back-up is by far the best way to complete the ride and experience a unique journey through the most beautiful scenery Britain has to offer. We have an experienced team of group leaders and helpers to make sure everyone enjoys the trip and achieves their goal.”
An experienced leader will cycle with the group and be on hand to help with any bike problems that may occur. Detailed route notes are provided so that riders can go faster or slower than the group leader if they prefer. A back-up van will 'leap frog' the group a number of times each day so that help is never far away. The van will carry a range of spare parts so that repairs can be made en-route and there will be a spare bike available in the event that anyone needs a new machine.
David Churcher, a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Isle of Man, completed last year’s LEJOG. His comments about the ride echo common sentiments about the experience. He says:
“It was a very diverse group of people encompassing individuals from all walks of life and across the business community. It didn’t take very long for the challenge to bring everyone together and for personal background to be an irrelevance. It wasn’t very far into the challenge that we encountered some really awful weather and on these days it was essential to stay close together. Team work is very important when riding long distances. Following the person in front is much easier than being that person. Most of us had bad days or parts of days when we didn’t feel much like riding 100 miles, but it had to be done and being part of a large group made this much easier.”
This event is suitable for someone with a good level of fitness who wants a challenge. If you do plenty of training beforehand you should have no problem completing the ride. The Children’s Centre will schedule training days around the Island for LEJOG riders to join in preparation for the event. Advice can also be given on training required to complete the ride, and on fundraising. There are two fundraising options. Option one is paying a registration fee of ?95 and then raising a minimum of ?1,250 in sponsorship. Option two is to pay a registration fee of ?95, another fee of ?500 to cover costs of the trip, and then to raise a minimum of ?750 in sponsorship. Included in the trip are accommodation, travel including travel to the UK by ferry, fuel costs, plus support with training and fundraising. Riders will average around 100 miles per day, but the group will be led by experienced guides who will help to control the pace so that everyone completes the challenge. The schedule will be as follows:
Day 1: Lands End - Okehampton; Day 2: Okehampton - Bristol; Day 3: Bristol - Shrewsbury; Day 4: Shrewsbury - Lancaster; Day 5: Lancaster - Moffat; Day 6: Moffat - Loch Lomond; Day 7: Loch Lomond - Loch Leven; Day 8: Loch Leven - Tain; Day 9: Tain - John O'Groats. On day three there is a choice of two routes between Bristol and Shrewsbury.
To find out more about the LEJOG Cycling Challenge The Childrens Centre will be holding an information evening on Wednesday 27th March at their Woodbourne Road offices in Douglas starting at 6pm. To sign up now contact Mark Eastham by emailing markeastham@thechildrenscentre.org.im or by calling 01624 676076. Alternatively, you can sign up by going to http://www.thechildrenscentre.org.im/adventure-events/ - the LEJOG page also includes a link to a blog by one of the riders who completed the challenge last year.
