Marcia's 2022 challenges for Mind

Marcia's 2022 challenges for Mind · 23 August 2022
Back in 2020 I decided to start fundraising for Solent Mind by cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats and back, and setting a Guinness World Record along the way. Together we raised a lot of money to help improve mental health on the south coast. In 2021 I moved away from only road riding, and started to explore the world of off road and gravel trails. I fell in love with it and explored a lot, but didn't set myself up with to many challenges.
Dales Divide
In April I take on the Dales Divide. It's a 600km bike-packing Coast to Coast and back event. It starts in Cumbria and crossed the Yorkshire Dales & the North York Moors before riding back to the start. It's going to be tough, and to date I have never ridden that kind of terrain. Ideally I'd like to complete in 3 days, but there are no guarantees, especially as I'll be carrying all my own gear.
The Great British Escapade (Take 2)
In June, I'll once again tackle the Great British Escapade, and this time I hope to finish it. The 2021 edition was my first attempt at an off road event, and it sparked a new passion, one for following trails rather than roads. That being said, the weather was dreadful, and very few riders made it past the first 24 hours (including me). But this year, we've been promised a heatwave by the organiser, so I'll try again.
It's around 480 km and takes in the North and South Downs.
The GB Duro (The big one)
This one ride is quite possibly the biggest and maddest ride I have ever attempted. I'll be riding from Land's End to John O'Groats again, but this time around half of it will be off-road. And it's not a direct route either.
It's just under 2000 km, and I'll have just 10 days to complete it. Yes it's actually a race - eek!!.
Not only is it a bike-packing event, but I have to be completely self-sufficient, and I have to camp out for all of it. Sneaky hotels or any non commercially available outside help will lead to disqualification. I'll be 56 years of age, while most of the field will be much younger. I genuinely believe this will be significantly harder than my GWR challenge!
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