Alright, here’s the deal. We’re Stopsley Stumble and we’ve now joined forces with LTFC – forming what can only be described as the Avengers of midlife crisis fitness. We’re a group of middle-aged blokes who’ve somehow managed to stay mates since school. Frankly, we’re as surprised as you are.

On 21st June 2025, we’re attempting Race the Sun in the Brecon Beacons. Sounds impressive, right? Spoiler alert: it’s not. It’s a 36-mile bike ride, a 9.6-mile hike, and a 2-mile kayak – all in one day, all before sunset. So yes, someone actually thought, “Let’s see how much punishment these dads can take in one go.” Naturally, we agreed. Why? Because we’re raising £2,850 for Action Medical Research for Children – and that’s literally the only reason we haven’t backed out.

Let’s break down the team. Neil and I (Ren) are your safe bets – vaguely athletic, in the way that occasionally chasing your kids around the house still counts. Ian isn’t built for endurance, but his wild mood swings might power him through – expect him to rage-walk past everyone at some point, before sulking behind a bush five minutes later.

Dan has a back made entirely of matchsticks. Honestly, one misstep and we’ll be phoning in air support to carry him the rest of the way.

Now onto our LTFC comrades: Kev – a man fresh off a proper bike challenge from Calais to Amsterdam. With that sort of CV, we’re fully expecting him to lead the charge, set the pace, and make the rest of us look utterly tragic. And then there’s Dave. Good old Dave. Lovely bloke. Brings great vibes. But let’s be honest – he’s probably going to need to be carried most of the way. There’s already talk of attaching a rope to Kev’s bike and towing him like a knackered caravan.

But behind all the jokes is a cause that genuinely matters. Action Medical Research for Children funds life-saving research for babies and children facing serious illnesses. So yes, we’re willing to drag ourselves through miles of hills, mud, and misery – not for glory, but to help give these kids a fighting chance at life.

Now, here’s where you come in. We don’t expect you to join us – you’ve got too much sense for that – but we are asking for your support. Every donation, big or small, gets us closer to our £1,900 target and helps fund research that really could change lives. And let’s be honest, the thought of us wobbling through Wales like lost dads on a school trip is surely worth a tenner?

So dig deep.

Stopsley Stumble and LTFC: Raising cash, breaking backs, and dragging Dave up a mountain – all for a brilliant cause.

Thanks for the support, legends. And don’t worry – Neil’s bringing his GoPro, so you’ll get plenty of footage of the chaos. You’re welcome.

Action Medical Research is the leading UK-wide charity saving and changing children’s lives through medical research. For 65 years we’ve helped pioneer ways to prevent disease and develop treatments benefiting millions of people. Our research has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. But we urgently need to develop more new treatments and cures for sick babies and children and we can’t do it without you.

Join our fight for little lives.