Geared up for success!

It was glorious blue skies and wall to wall sunshine on Saturday for the inaugural 100 Miler cycle challenge. Starting on the West Coast of Scotland and finishing on the North East Coast of England, 40 cyclists got on their bikes in aid of St Oswald’s Hospice, raising funds to support patients and their families.

It was an early start in North Tyneside where participants gathered at 6.30am to travel up to the start line together, with transport kindly provided by WatBike.

Ahead of the challenge, one of the participants Steve said, “I’m doing a lot more cycling now so this challenge appealed to me immediately. I’ve taken previous challenges for St Oswald’s Hospice and I know I’ll be in good company for the 100 Miler.”

After a final briefing, the flag went up at 10am and our cyclists hit the road!

The 100 mile route took in parts of rural Scotland and rural Northumberland, with stop off points at Gilsland, Hexham and Wylam, with the final stretch tracking along the North Shields Fish Quay before reaching the end of the route at the coast.

An enthusiastic welcome committee of St Oswald’s Hospice staff, Volunteers and friends and family awaited participants at the finish line, with the beautiful Tynemouth Priory providing a picturesque backdrop. After one final hill climb to complete the challenge, every cyclist was presented with their well-deserved medal.

First across the line was Mark, who admitted he hadn’t taken on a challenge quite like this one before. Completing the 100 miles in just under 6.5 hours, he said, “the best bit were the hills! I loved the challenge and it was great. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Next across the line were Keith and Paul, both of whom cycle regularly. Keith said, “It was a brilliant day, excellent weather and a good cycle out.”

Paul added, “It was warm especially through the Tyne Valley, but it’s a great cause and I’ve enjoyed being part of it.”

Most of our cyclists completed the challenge within 9 hours, with the final group arriving back almost 11 hours after setting off. We’re proud of every single participant for their achievements in taking on 100 Miler and grateful to them for supporting the valuable work of St Oswald’s Hospice, with every pound of their fundraising helping to keep our doors open for those who need us.

Our extended thanks go to AeroFin who supplied some energy powders, gels and snacks for riders to enjoy en-route, and to our event partner WatBike for enabling this challenge to happen.

And of course, our biggest thank you to all who took on the 100 Miler – you did it!

There is still time to donate if you’d like to via the 100 Miler JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/100miler2023

And if you’re tempted to take on a challenge in support of St Oswald’s Hospice, we’d love to hear from you and welcome you to Team St Oswald’s! You can find out more here or get in touch by emailing us at supportercare@stoswaldsuk.org