Run Britain – News – Lucas to embark on 905 miles in 9 days …cycling that is!

This Saturday, 2 July, 35 year old Lucas Meagor and 33 year old Chris Britton will start a 905 mile road trip by bike in aid of  Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The pair will depart from Land's End at around 8.30am and head north over 9 days to John O Groat's.  The cycle forms part of Lucas marking the 10^th anniversary year since he ran his first full Marathon in 2001.  The goal is to raise £10,000 over the year for Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Lucas, who lives in Kingston upon Hull, is a member of the Beverley Athletics Club.  Chris lives in St Annes, Bristol. The two have been friends since working together in 1996.

Lucas, who is originally from Frome, Somerset, is hot off the back of a number of other challenges from his anniversary year, including running the Humber Bridge Half Marathon in the blistering heat on Sunday and two weeks after swimming a mile in Lake Windermere.

Well over a quarter of the target has now been pledged. He commented "I wanted to do something more ten years on. Having proven I can run, I needed to do more this year, swimming was part of that and, while I've been able to ride a bike for nearly 30 years, I've never done more than 65 miles in a day!"  Chris added "I've been a keen cyclist for a while and cycle to work most days, but this is a different challenge". 

Chris and Lucas have both been training, having managed two weekends together, one of which saw them cycle much of the Trans Pennine Trail from Liverpool to Kingston upon Hull. "It was a good trial run as we had a number of problems and the second day it rained heavily" Chris elaborated.  "We found our strengths and weaknesses that weekend, but know we'll be able to support each other along the way" Lucas added.

In April Lucas ran four Marathon's in four weeks as part of the year's fundraising and since finishing the last one on 8 May in Skopje, Macedonia, he has been focusing on the swimming and cycling.  The pair have split the planning and preparation, Chris being the mechanic of the two while Lucas has planned the route and arranged accommodation, most of which is with friends who live at various points along the way, including Chris's own flat in Bristol on day 2! 

"The support from friends and family has been fantastic and many have said they'll come and meet us on route to lend support" Lucas said.

"It'll be like running a B&B for the night" said Lesley Boyle, a friend who's hosting them in Preston at the end of day 4.  Day 1 is supported by Trowbridge based Morphed Landscapes , one of Lucas' main sponsors this year.

Seven different sets of support groups will travel with them and will be there in the event of an emergency or major breakdown.  They will average 100 miles a day, although in reality this is as high as 129 miles on day 1 to 66 on the last day as it's worked around the accommodation.  At the end of day 3, Bayston Hill Methodist Church, near Shrewsbury, where Lucas lived prior to moving to Kingston upon Hull, are having a full evening to welcome the two cyclists. 

Lucas started the year spending a weekend with friends who have three children, 6, 4 and 3, two of whom have Cystic Fibrosis. The weekend gave him a better insight into how the condition affects day to day life, but also how they try to live life as normally as possible. "It's given me a much better understanding of what I'm raising funds for. If research can help extend the lives of CF sufferers, which is currently late 30's, not much older than myself, then everything I do this year will be worth the effort" This was followed by running the Bath Half Marathon with 24 friends & family in March. Chris will run the Bristol Half Marathon with Lucas in September.

 

However, it doesn't stop there. Lucas goes on to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with his brother-in-law in October and has just confirmed he'll run the Lisbon Marathon in December to end the year. Chris has also signed up to join him, for what will be his first ever Marathon.  "As well as what is a fifth Marathon in 2011, I'll be having a Charity Ball to end the year on a high note in celebration of everything." Lucas said, still enthused, if not a little daunted, by the prospect of what still lay ahead!

 

Lucas regularly trains on Wednesday nights with Beverley AC and has also been supported by Hysteria of Art, Syd's Garden Services, Halls Construction , Poems & Pictures, Gas Care Services & A Marson Cleaning Services, Specsavers, Pro Dive, Diamond Print. To keep up to date with Lucas & Chris' progress see www.lucaskeepsrunning.co.uk, which will have a daily update, or follow them  on Facebook "Lucaskeepsrunning.co.uk"

If anyone wishes to support Lucas & Chris, please go to www.justgiving.com/lucas10thanniversary

 Run Britain – News

 

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