Livingston James Group Ambassador and Adventurer Mark Beaumont breaks another World Record – and this time we were there with him. Supporting the STV Children’s Appeal and inspiring hundreds of cyclists, we’ve asked Mark to reflect on his latest challenge.
From 2pm on Saturday, until 2pm on Sunday I was grateful to be joined by hundreds of members of the public at the Infiniti’s car showroom in Glasgow as I attempted to ride a static Wattbike into the record books, all in aid of the STV Children’s Appeal. With so much support I was able to ride 470 miles and as a collective we covered over 2,500 miles – the distance from Glasgow to Cairo! This is officially a new WattBike World Record and if you are planning to go better, keep in mind this equates to a steady 20mph in 4 hour blocks, with short breaks and then repeat. It also means 113,454 pedal strokes and 16,500 kCal, all in a day’s work!
I was delighted to have the support from Livingston James and Rutherford Cross for this charity challenge, where every penny goes to children living in poverty within Scotland – which ultimately is what makes all the pain worthwhile. Special mention amongst the team goes to Fiona McLeod who put a storming effort in, clocking up the all-important team miles.
Although very tough, it was a great 24 hours and everyone had a lot of fun. A number of individuals and organisations helped me with the challenge, including St Mirren Football Club, the Braehead Clan ice hockey team and professional golfer, Alyson McKechin. There were player appearances throughout the day from both clubs and Alyson was on hand to give golfing advice to anyone looking to improve their game.
A team of health and fitness experts were on hand from Nuffield Health and Q-bikes to offer advice and guidance for anyone looking to improve their health and wellbeing or get into cycling.
During my 24 hours on the bike I had everyone from a seven year old to a 70 year old and just about every age in between. It was fantastic to see so many individuals and organisations getting behind the challenge to help raise funds for Scotland’s children.
If you would like to donate to Mark’s campaign, please do so at www.virginmoneygiving.com/mark24.