London cyclists invited to join cycling challenge

All In London Forum
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CARE Challenge
London cyclists to blaze fundraising trail for CARE International

Londoners are invited to get on two wheels and get fit in 2008 – and help raise well over £1m for the work of leading overseas development agency CARE International at the same time.

In 2008, CARE UK’s in-house Challenge Event Team will be organising and running 12 exciting yet tough outdoor teambuilding events, among which features the CARE London to Paris Bike Ride. This tough 3-day challenge, run for the first time in collaboration with Kingston-based events company Tall Stories, is scheduled for 17-19th July 2008. Pedalling off at Kingston, participants will ride through Surrey to Portsmouth, across the border to north of Caen, Bernay, and finally onto Paris, where they will finish in style at the Arc de Triomphe, before returning to London on the Eurostar. They will have pedalled a distance of 240 miles in total – and raised at least £1,200 each in support of CARE International.

Since 50% of CARE Challenge participants live and work in London or the South-East, an event like this seemed a natural development of the CARE Challenge portfolio, as Event Manager Neil Munro – also a keen cyclist - explained: “Our cycling events are becoming ever more popular, especially with city dwellers keen to stay fit and help the environment, and we’ve had huge demand to run a London to Paris Bike Ride in 2008. Helping the environment is a big priority for us and an event like this, while not too far away, also offers something different and exhilarating.”

For those London cyclists still wishing to venture that little bit further – albeit not just on two wheels but also two legs – they might be tempted to try CARE Challenge’s toughest event – the CARE 3 Peaks Spain Challenge. Participants are not only required to hike, but also cycle mainland Spain’s 3 highest peaks – Mulhacén, Alcazaba and Veleta. This event is certainly not for the faint-hearted, nevertheless, all participants on the 2007 event managed to complete this 3-day challenge despite battling the altitude and heat.
An additional new incentive for any 2008 participants who register their places for a CARE 3 Peaks or 24 Peaks Challenge before the end of November are a coveted early start time – as Munro explains: “These are demanding events, and proper training and preparation is essential. On events such as the classic CARE 3 Peaks Challenge, teams are naturally keen to set off early on leg one – Ben Nevis – while they are feeling fresh and energetic – as it means the chances of finishing this first climb in daylight hours, along with maximizing rest time between climbs, are that much greater. Also, although we don’t actively promote the physical element of our events as a competition, psychologically I think colleagues from the same company generally want to start first, especially where they have more than one team from taking part. That can set the tone for the whole challenge!”

In 2007, a total of 182 teams across 12 events raised £1.1m for CARE, and it is anticipated that CARE Challenge will well exceed that figure in 2008.

Readers can find out more about the CARE London to Paris Bike Ride, or the rest of the 2008 CARE Challenge portfolio by visiting www.carechallenge.org.uk.

For more information please contact:
Helen Stoddart, CARE Challenge PR & Communications Executive, on 020 7934 9414 or [email protected].



[edited]
link activated
Posted: 2007-11-05 11:13:58
All In London
Sounds cool, anyone up for this?

AIL Staff
Posted: 2007-11-06 14:48:11
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