More than 50 cyclists are participating in a fundraising relay ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End in support of Help for Heroes.
Four of the cyclists will ride the whole distance as the route meanders its way down the length of the UK, paying respects to the fallen along the way.
Others will join in along the ride to help carry a wooden baton for a journey that will be just shy of 1,300 miles.
Former soldier John Burns organised the relay which departs from John O’Groats on August 28. The 47-year-old from London will be one of the four cycling the full distance.
He will be joined by former RAF engineer and Warrior Games competitor John Knott from Doncaster. Mr Knott’s first recumbent bike was funded by Help for Heroes.
Retiree, Tony Bagnall, from Newcastle who served in the RAF for 24 years will also be taking on the cycling challenge alongside battlefield guide and former military policeman Dudley Giles from Newark.
The cyclists plan to arrive in Land’s End around three weeks later.
The JOGLE Relay
Along the way riders will deviate from the normal route to visit several prominent military sites to pay respects to the fallen, including the Dunbeath War Memorial in Caithness.
Mr Burns explained: “It’s really two rides in one. Four of us – each of whom is a veteran – will ride each day and cover the whole distance, while another 50-odd cyclists have volunteered to join us day by day to carry the baton which has been crafted by Veterans Woodcraft, in Richmond, Yorkshire.
“Many of that cohort are veterans themselves, with some having benefited from the support provided by Help for Heroes, so they know how important the charity is.
“We’re taking a somewhat circuitous route because we felt it was important for us to pay our respects to our forebears who made the ultimate sacrifice. Riding the extra 400-odd miles on our route is a small price to pay by comparison.”
Mr Burns takes part in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride (BBBR) every year to help raise funds for Help for Heroes.
Due to Covid, the fundraising event has been cancelled since 2019, which inspired Mr Burns to develop the JOGLE Relay.
He said: “I just developed the seed of a relay idea from a friend, extended the distance slightly, and created what we’ve called the JOGLE Relay.
“Once we’ve done this, I’ll turn my attention to the planning for next year’s BBBR which is taking in the whole of the World War One British western front.”
He added: “And we’re still accepting volunteers for that.”