In September 2026, myself and Veg Man Matt are taking on Race the Sun: Lake District — a beautifully ridiculous, borderline-questionable endurance challenge in aid of the incredible children’s charity Action Medical Research.

At sunrise (yes, actual sunrise — the offensive kind), we’ll set off to:

🚴‍♂️ Cycle 55 km — which sounds fine until you remember it includes 1,000 meters of climbing & our legs will already be negotiating their resignation letters.

🥾 Then immediately hike 16 km across the Lake District, including a very friendly 931 meters of elevation (that’s basically climbing a small mountain… purely for character development).

🛶 And just when we think we’re done, we’ll finish with a 3.5 km paddle, because apparently sitting down & relaxing is not part of the design brief.

All of this has to be completed before sunset. Yes — we are literally racing the sun. Fall behind, and the course starts shutting down behind you. Absolutely no pressure whatsoever.

It’s part mid-life crisis, part adventure and a small attempt to prove we’re not as fragile as our knees suggest (or indeed Matt's shins). It will be exhausting, painful, deeply questionable… and somehow, hopefully, brilliant.

We’ll also be logging the training on Strava, where kudos are basically performance-enhancing drugs, so feel free to dish them out generously - https://www.strava.com/athletes/181988059

We’re raising funds for Action Medical Research, a charity that’s been funding vital work for over 70 years to help defeat the diseases that devastate the lives of sick and disabled babies, children & young people.

Your support will help:

🌼 Find ways to reduce premature birth

💪 Support children living with disabilities and lifelong conditions

🧬 Develop cutting-edge therapies for rare and incurable diseases

Every donation, no matter the size, helps make a difference.

Thank you so much for your support — and wish us luck as we race the sun (or rain… it is England in September)! 🌞🌧️