What is the Festive 500?

For those who are familiar with Strava, Rapha's Festive 500 challenge needs no introduction. After a decade, it has achieved a cult-like following amongst winter cyclists. But for those who are unfamiliar, it is the annual tradition of attempting to cycle 500 kilometres during the eight days between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It is a pushback against the inevitable gluttony and sloth that accompany the festive period.


So What Is the #Festive4000?

Quite simply it is my attempt to do eight times the distance - 4000 kilometres - during the same time frame. This effectively means completing the traditional Festive 500 every single day for eight days straight. I will be keeping track of my distance on Strava's Festive 500 leaderboard and riding on Zwift.

But what is motivating you to cycle 4,000 kilometres indoors?

The mental challenge of such a long stint of indoor cycling seems like a fitting end to 2020. The mental health impact of lockdowns has been felt across the world and, although it has paled into insignificance in comparison to the lives lost, it has certainly taken its toll upon all of us. Cycling indoors for 192 hours doesn't come close to the sacrifices that many people have made to protect the vulnerable in society.

And with this in mind, I will be taking on this challenge to raise money for MIND. A mental health charity based in the UK, they work tirelessly for a better understanding of mental health and better services for those suffering from mental health problems. They have described the current situation as a "mental health emergency", so it is more important than ever to support their work.