Double record for Northants Down's syndrome charity bike riders

More than 200 Northamptonshire cyclists aged between three and 86 have helped a county charity raise more than £11,500.

The trustees of Ups n Downs had been concerned that coronavirus restrictions might make it difficult for people to take part in their biggest fundraiser of the year. They usually ask people to cycle around local routes ending in a barbecue at Earls Barton Cricket Club.

This year they decided to hold the Round the World charity event digitally. Local people were challenged to ride a total of 18,000 miles between them, recording their mileage on an app. This is equivalent to going round the world at the latitude of 52 degrees north, where Earls Barton sits.

Riders managed 24,000 miles across ten days and raised £11,500 which is a record since the event began five years ago,

The first rider to set the WhatsApp group buzzing was Steve Brierley who completed the challenge of climbing the equivalent of Everest in less than ten hours on his indoor bike. This is the equivalent of ascending Hardwater Hill 276 times. Steve raised more than £1,000.

One of the organsing team, Faye Brown said: "One of the many positive benefits of the revised format this year has been how inclusive it has been. Riders of all ages have been able to participate with the youngest being three and the oldest a youthful 86.

"Some of the younger riders from our Ups n Downs families have put us all to shame by piling on the miles as they show us how it is done on their bikes, trikes and scooters. Some of the children learned to ride balance bikes and trikes for the first time during this event.

"Nor has location been a barrier. Waking up in the morning to see a post from someone who has just completed a ride in the desert heat of Dubai has added another level of interest. We even had riders from as far afield as Great Doddington.

"Another outstanding ride was put in by Tim, Dan and John who rode into an easterly wind for most of the journey from Gretton to Brancaster in Norfolk. Perhaps the lure of fish and chips helped!

"Andy Cooney, who coordinated the technical logistics through his events page UltraBritain, did a great job. You could see regular updates of how many miles had been achieved and also how you were doing yourself and how it compared with all the other riders. If there was a problem, he was quick to rectify it.

"Day eight saw the 18,000 target achieved. There was a great sense of pride to be part of this team. Dave Baxter headed the leader board when the event concluded with an amazing 820 miles. Other prize winners will be announced next month.

"Nobody knows what 2021 will bring. What we do know as organisers of the ride is that we are very lucky to be involved with a superb group of people who are prepared to put in that extra effort to make a success of any situation. Whatever your contribution, we would like to say a big thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you."

The organisers were Tom Rees, Karen Jackson, Nick Burles, Faye Brown, Peter Cunningham, Mick McGuckin, Jacob Smith and Steve Watkins. The event was sponsored by Wincanton, Gibbs and Dandy, Higgins, AFP, Electrical Compliance and Safety Ltd, Total Environmental Compliance Ltd and Steve Holliday.