Evotix Cycling Triumph

This is the epic story of their return journey

In this guest blog, Edward Scotney describes how a casual remark turned into the ultimate fundraising challenge...

"Who would be up for cycling back to Manchester for £5k?" quickly ignited a spark in the mind of one of our youngest riders, Harry Collins, who enthusiastically declared, "I will."

We were enjoying a lunch break on the outskirts of London, basking in the sun and sharing laughter, initially dismissing Harry's commitment as a jest. However, within moments, it became evident that Harry was dead serious. Matthew Elson, our CEO, recognising the potential, extended the challenge by promising to contribute the additional £5,000, basically doubling our already successful fundraise, if Harry could complete the return journey within 24 hours.

This set the stage for an extraordinary performance, with George Willis stepping into the picture. Attempting to replicate what our team accomplished in four days in just 24 hours was a daunting task, but George embraced the challenge as well.

Upon crossing the finish line in London, an intense flurry of planning and preparation ensued. George and Harry loaded up on carbs, stayed hydrated, planned the route, and checked their bikes and equipment over, all while savouring a couple of pizzas!

Harry was scheduled to depart from central London at 5 a.m. and, in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the early morning darkness, where he would rendezvous with George in North London, and off they went.

Fortunately, we had the advantage of tracking Harry via his phone, and we watched in amazement as they started strong and only grew stronger. They were flying!

I won't attempt to recount every detail of their journey here, but suffice it to say, they conquered the challenge and emerged in remarkable shape!

Here are some impressive statistics:

• Total Distance: 226.22 miles
• Elevation Climbed: 10,262ft
• Moving Time: 14 hrs 57min 41 secs
• Total Elapsed Time: 18 hrs 27 mins
• Average Speed: 15.1 miles per hour
• Average Power Output: 140 watts
• Calories Burnt: 17,367 calories

17,000 calories burnt! That's an entire week's calorie intake...

Put another way, that's equivalent to 294 Sainsbury's custard cream biscuits (19 packs) OR 1.3 Custard Creams per mile!

Everyone on the team is in awe, utterly amazed, and filled with admiration for both George and Harry. Such monumental endeavours are typically reserved for extreme athletes, yet these two went above and beyond the call of duty. While they may have relished the bragging rights, securing an additional £5,000 for Outward Bound served as the ultimate motivation to mount their bikes once more, following a gruelling four-day cycle, delivering an outstanding performance.

This achievement exemplifies our company values:

• Willing To Contend
• Just Try It
• Be Our Best Selves
• We're Unconventional

Our fundraising total has now soared to well over £10,000, with the addition of gift aid, and donations are still pouring in! At this point, we must recognise the support from Future Present, who captured the event on film, and Zartis.com for helping make this year's cycle possible.

We are bursting with pride for both Harry and George. Their dedication is truly astonishing.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire team and support crew. Words cannot fully capture the magnitude of this accomplishment, especially considering that some of our group had taken up cycling just a couple of months prior.