Moorhouse compete in charity 'Bike Run' for Cancer Research UK and Great Ormond St 30-05-07

A team of twenty hope to raise £10K for Cancer Research UK and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity with a sponsored 'bike run' that will see them travel from Westminster to Land's End in forty eight hours.

The team of keen runners and cyclists from programme management specialists Moorhouse established the 'Bike Run Charity Challenge' last year when they ran and cycled from London to Bideford, Devon in two days. This year they hope to make it almost another 100 miles west, travelling through Hungerford, Taunton and Plymouth before arriving tired, yet victorious, in Land's End, Cornwall on Sunday morning!

Divided into two teams of five pairs, each pair will spend roughly eight hours on the road in slots of one hour at a time, with one person cycling and the other running. They will travel through night and day, and the objective is to see how far each team can get along the 352-mile route in the allotted time of forty-eight hours.

Managing Director Dom Moorhouse said that client colleagues, family and friends were spurring them all on by guessing how far the teams will travel in the two days.

Dom said: “It will be demanding physical challenge but there should be a great team spirit as everyone is keen to beat our 2006 effort. Last year was a fantastic inaugural attempt - supported by TfL colleagues at a participant and support level and despite a few one-off incidents, such as pulling a bedraggled runner from a dark Bath-Kennet canal in the early hours of the morning, it all went relatively smoothly. Notwithstanding, we are confident with a bit of luck - and team navigation practice - that we can raise our game this year and actually make Land's End in the allotted time.”

“Lets just hope that our bikes and legs hold up and the weather is kind to us!”

Moorhouse team members David Epps and Duncan Hancox, who are co-managing the event, said that there were many keen cyclists among the team and they were pleased the event coincided with the Tour de France leaving London, and the UK's National Bike Week.

David said: “Many of us live and work in London and we cycle or walk to work whenever possible. We have a 'Ride to Work' scheme in place that helps, which allows us to purchase a bike through work and offset it against our salary so we don't pay income tax, VAT or National Insurance on it. It means you can make a significant saving when buying a bike, something like 50%. I live in Kennington and work in Blackfriars at the moment, and its great to be able to drop the commute and keep fit with a cycle to work every day.”

David continued “We have also received help and support from the London Cycling Campaign, who have kindly provided us with the opportunity to use bicycles which they have access to.”

Matthew Forrest, Senior Fundraising Executive at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity said: “Last year Moorhouse raised almost £3,500 for our charity and the money was a great boost to the redevelopment work taking place at the main hospital site. We wish them good luck for this year and can't wait to hear how they get on!”

Additional Information

The Bike Run teams begin their challenge at 1200hrs on Friday 29 June leaving from the Moorhouse office at Matthew Parker Street, Westminster. The route they are taking on the Bike Run will follow National Cycle networks two, three, four, and twenty-seven.