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16
Jun 2023
Harrogate cyclist aiming to ride 1,000 km in 48 hours
A Harrogate business owner will be setting out on the challenge of a lifetime next week, inspired by the people who cared for his late aunt.
Simon Gregory is planning to ride 1,000 kilometres — more than 620 miles — in just 48 hours to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
His aunt, Rev Ruth Scott, was cared for by a Macmillan nurse after being diagnosed with lymphoma until her death in 2019, aged 60.
Simon is no stranger to challenges, having completed a 288-mile ride in 24 hours in 2021 for the same cause. He told the Stray Ferret:
For this challenge, Simon will head to Ardnamurchan Point in west Scotland, from where he will set off next Friday at noon.
He will cycle the length of Britain, aiming to finish at Winchester Cathedral at noon on Sunday.
The aim of the ride is to raise £25,000 – enough to fund 101 days of care from Macmillan nurses, in tribute to the nurse who cared for Ruth.
The two ends of the route have particular significance to Ruth and her family, he said.
Simon is completing the ride to raise funds for Macmillan nurses, who supported Rev Ruth Scott.
While the ride itself will be challenging enough, the training has also been gruelling.
Simon has spent long hours on his bike, setting out on rides of up to 20 hours from his home in Harrogate in recent weeks.
Early in his training, he got hypothermia after encountering a freezing hilltop on an otherwise warm day. Last year, he had two operations on his shoulder after shattering his collarbone when his bike slipped on black ice.
He said:
Support crew
Fitting all of the training and recovery around his job running a recruitment business with his wife, and spending time with their two young children, has been a challenge – but he says being busy has also helped to keep the nerves at bay.
He has also been given support from his business, Returners' Tribe, Paria, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Starling bar in Harrogate, whose founder, Simon Midgeley, will be part of the first support crew setting off with Simon to Scotland next Thursday.
As well as offering practical support in shifts en route, the support crews – made up of close friends and family – will keep him focused during the 48-hour challenge. Simon said:
To get ready for the event and boost his fundraising, Simon will be on his turbo trainer outside Marks and Spencer on Parliament Street in York tomorrow, collecting donations from shoppers.
To follow Simon's progress on his Instagram page, click here. Find out more about the challenge and donate to his fundraising on his JustGiving page.
Read more:
- Harrogate nephew of former broadcaster to cycle 1,000km in 48 hours
- Dad to cycle 1,600km to fund research into late wife's cancer
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