Story

Clean Water for Gaza

In a world where water flows freely from the tap, it’s easy to forget that access to water is a basic human right. But in Gaza, water isn’t just precious—it’s a lifeline that has been cut off.

MSF reports that Israeli attacks, combined with restrictions on electricity and fuel, have crippled Gaza’s water infrastructure, destroying 80% of water provision. Entire communities have been left with no safe supply, forcing families to rely on contaminated sources.

This is not a tragic accident—it is the deliberate use of “water as another weapon of war.” Contaminated aquifers, shattered pipelines, and disabled desalination plants have created a public health catastrophe.

The consequences are devastating:

94% of hospitals in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, leaving medical care on the brink of collapse.

1.9 million people—90% of the population—have been displaced, and 92% of housing units have been damaged or destroyed.

1.2 million people now face emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

Palestinians are surviving on just 3–5 litres of water per day—far below the UN’s daily minimum. Today there is only one desalination plant left working and there has been a 150% rise in preventable diseases and skin infections due to insufficient clean water (Sources: MSF International, MSF Middle East, Financial Times, Reuters, The Guardian).

Our response

We are a small group of ultracyclists, bound by endurance, passion, and a belief that every human has the right to clean water. We’ve joined forces to ride, to sweat, to push our limits—not for sport, but to bring lifesaving water aid to Gaza through Médecins Sans Frontières.

On our rides, we take water for granted. In Gaza, it is a daily fight for survival. We are asking for your support and generosity so that clean water can be provided to those who need it most.

As ultracyclists we often take access to water for granted, filling our bottles with ease to stay hydrated and continue our long efforts. We want to take the opportunity to raise funds during our next ultracycling races to support the vital work that Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are doing in Gaza to provide water and aid to the population.

It is expensive and dangerous to deliver water by truck and we have so much respect for the humanitarian organisations that risk their lives everyday to support the Palestinian population.

Our Ultracycling Challenges

Marcus:

I will be riding the Sneak Peaks adventure around the Dolomites in Northern Italy starting on 5th September 2025. The route is 500km long and has over 16000m of climbing! The route is thought to have the biggest climbing to distance ratio of any off-road cycling challenge, and some mountainous sections of the route reach over 3000m. There are not many flat sections! I'm hoping to complete the route in under 2 1/2 days.

Valerio:

For the third time, I’ll be in North Wales this October for what is usually a “silly” 200km off-road ride. In the past, it’s been a chance to raise money in memory of my friend Piotr, and for Cancer Research UK. I haven’t forgotten Piotr, or how I put off visiting him, thinking there would be more time. There wasn’t. This year, I feel there’s no time to waste for the Palestinian people. Too many lives have already been lost, and are being lost every day. So I’m adding another 100km and attempting the BearBones300 to raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières. MSF medics in Gaza have suffered huge losses while risking their lives to care for others, fighting starvation, and witnessing daily horrors. The local population needs all the help they can get, and MSF is on the ground delivering that help. This will be my hardest ride yet, but it’s nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure.

Nima:

Raising funds for, and awareness about, the situation in Gaza couldn't be more urgent. I hope that with your help, this fundraising effort will reach its target and support the vital work of Doctors Without Borders. I will be taking on the challenge of riding Ten Peaks Trail as a personal time trial. I'll be starting in Glasgow on 19th of September and finishing in Lossiemouth. The route is 390km, mostly off-road. With ten peaks to scale, it has a total elevation gain of over 9300 meters. The route will take me to high altitudes, in possibly very extreme weather conditions. The freedom that I have to do this kind of riding is not something that I take for granted. This fundraiser is a way to help get clean water, the basics of survival, to the people of Gaza. But I am also doing this ride in the hope for a future in which all Palestinians are free.

Kerry:

I’d like to use it as a force for good & have teamed up with some fellow ultra riders to form Ultra Cyclists for Palestine. During our challenges, we’d like to try and raise some money for Doctors Without Borders and the dire conditions including lack of access to the basic human right that is water is creating. It’s something I take for granted on my bike rides with streams, taps & top ups never far away.

While these will be hard efforts we will all have access to clean water sources throughout the ride, a privilege that the population of Gaza do not have. We will be sharing frequents updates about our efforts during the events on this page and via our social media channels:

Ultracyclists for Palestine: https://www.instagram.com/ultracyclistsforpalestine/

Marcus: https://www.instagram.com/marcusnicolson/

Vale: https://www.instagram.com/vale.stuart/

Kerry: https://www.instagram.com/kerrymacphee/

Nima: https://www.instagram.com/milesandwheels/

Please see the following link for more information on the ongoing water crisis in Gaza and consider contributing to our campaign!

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/water-being-used-weapon-war-gaza

If you have a cycling challenge of your own and would like to join this fundraiser please don't hesitate to get in touch.