UPDATE 10/10/15

I DID IT!!! All the planning and training paid off and despite being driven into on day 2 and escaping with cuts and scrapes and the bike still intact, I completed the ride in 7 days. Yeeeeehhhaaaaa!!!

For 7 consecutive days I was up at 5 am and cycled between 14 -17 hours each day...it was far from easy and the pain in my calves and knees from day 3 onwards was extremely challenging and the urge to give in was massive at times. But I just kept going. Guess listening those motivational speeches from Les Brown paid off...please listen to him on Youtube. He will make you believe you are capable of anything.

Some Thanks you's....to those who made the ride possible by offering their time and hospitality and help above and beyond donating...

A huge thanks to my support drivers James Acheson. James AIthie, James McCormick, Auntie Barbara, Jeremy and Mike Yau. An extra special huge thanks to my missus Florence Salisbury for driving 2 and a half days and simply for putting up with me for the last few months of preparations and during the ride itself. A super special thanks to my sister Nat Hall for her hospitality in Manchester and also a shout out to my fellow riders on day 4 Jeremy and Joss Watson...it really picked me up to have you guys with me. Massive thanks to Jude Vinton for paying for the accommodation on the eve of my 30th birthday during the ride and also to Claire Acheson for putting us up in Inverness. Also a shout out for Steve Cox of Trading Places for publicising my ride in Manchester for me. Thanks also to Chelsea Birkby and Catherine Irving of Cancer Research UK for all their amazing support and advice. Also a shout out to Stephen Lethorn of Southern for allowing me to collect so much on Balham station and a shout out to Andrew Harrowell of GTR for recognising my hard work with an award nomination. And a big up to my housemate Adam for lending me some cycling gear and saving me some pennies. Oh and a special thanks to Holly Watson for getting her work colleagues to donate too...so nice of you. Lastly, thanks to all those who offered accommodation for the ride especially Max, Brigid, Rebecca & Ollie, and Sammy. And an additional thanks to Max for promoting my ride and getting me some Bitcoin donations :) I think that's everyone...really sorry if I have missed anyone out. 

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Between 28th September and 4th October I rode from Land's End to John O' Groats, a distance of around 1000 miles in 7 days. The ride had and still has one purpose...to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK. And hence the reason for this page. Please give what you can to this amazing charity. 

This ride was entirely self organised and self funded. Any costs were paid for out of my own pocket so that every single donated penny goes to the charity :)

The Route

Sept 28th - Land's End to Crediton

Sept 29th - Crediton to Much Dewchurch

Sept 30th - Much Dewchurch to Urmston, Manchester

Oct 1st - Urmston to Carlisle

Oct 2nd - Carlisle to Crieff

Oct 3rd - Crieff to Inverness (MY 30TH BIRTHDAY HA HA)

Oct 4th - Inverness to John O' Groats

Don't forget to choose GiftAid on your donation. It costs you nothing and the charity gets 25% extra!!! :)

Follow Me

You can check out the progress that was made on the ride at www.twitter.com/1000mileride

Unfortunately you can no longer view the event page I made on Facebook where the majority of updates took place with it being over 4 weeks since the ride :(

Why this particular ride?

I was inspired by two people to do this ride. Ben Rockett holds the world record for cycling this ride AND BACK in a ridiculous 5 days and 21 hours. People normally do this ride just there in 2 weeks!!! He rode 420 miles in the first 24 hours of that ride. Let that sink in...this man is beyond a joke...in a beyond amazing way. He wrote a book about it and it's not just about the ride itself, it's his training before (18,000 miles of it!!!). The man is insane and reading his story is utterly inspiring...the word dedication doesn't even come close. 

Then there's Eddie Izzard. He has been my inspiration for everything I have done sports wise in recent years. 43 marathons in 52 days. Read that again. It's nuts. With zero training!!! Unbelievable! Both of these men remind me that anything is possible. I met Eddie in the street last year...he told me 90 % of it's mental. And the rest of it's in your head. I think I know what he meant.

A huge thanks to all of you again for your support, kind words and donations.

Matt x