13/08/2026
A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT 🚴♀️🚴♂️
We’d like to give a huge shoutout to SCC members Claire and Matt, who completed an incredible challenge last week, riding from Land’s End to John o’Groats in just 5 days, 12 hours and 24 minutes!
They took on LEJOG to raise money for the MND Association, following the diagnosis of Claire’s mum, Chrissie, last September. Here’s a little bit about their journey, along with a link to their fundraising page for anyone who would like to support this brilliant cause.
The pair set off from Land’s End on Sunday 2nd August, aiming to complete the challenge in under five days. Their first day was a huge 192 miles with over 14,000ft of climbing, before heading north through Manchester on day two. By just before midnight on day three, they had crossed the Scottish border and covered 521 miles.
The challenge certainly wasn’t without its difficulties. Matt battled excruciating knee pain at times, while Claire had an off after a car passed dangerously close, resulting in a broken rear mech. Despite those setbacks, they picked themselves up, sorted the bike and carried on.
The combination of early starts, riding into the early hours, sleep deprivation and the heat of those first few days eventually meant they decided to spread the remaining miles over a little longer. Day five took them through the Cairngorms, with a still-impressive 130 miles, before their final 120-mile push to John o’Groats.
They experienced almost every season along the way, from temperatures approaching 30°C in the first couple of days to storms and torrential rain in Scotland (of course…).🌦️
Their efforts have raised an incredible amount for MND. Over £3,000 was raised during the ride, taking their total fundraising to more than £5,000! 🙌
The fundraising doesn’t stop there either, with the Great North Run next on the calendar, followed by Ironman Cascais in October.
A massive well done to Claire and Matt from everyone at Stourbridge Cycling Club. What an achievement! 👏🧡
If you’d like to support Claire and Matt’s fundraising for the MND Association, you can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/claire-okane-10?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
