Dr Sarah Ruggins breaks overall record for cycling length of Britain and back

Dr Sarah Ruggins has broken the overall record for riding the length of Great Britain and back – John o’ Groats to Lands End to John o’ Groats – in an estimated time of 5 days, 11 hours and 14 minutes.

It is yet to be verified by the record keepers, but the 37-year-old completed the ride faster than the previous record holder, James MacDonald, according to her tracking data. He had set a time of five days, 18 hours. She also set a new women’s record in the process, beating Louise Harris’ 10 days, five hours.

She rode in aid of The Bike Project and Bikes for Refugees, two initiatives close to her heart.

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To break the record, to complete the 2,700km challenge – with 16,000m of elevation – she rode 500km a day. A huge challenge, for any kind of ultra cyclist, let alone someone who only got back into cycling a couple of years ago, and who also has bounced back from a rare and debilitating autoimmune disease which left her paralysed.

“I could cry thinking about how grateful I am for my health now, and basically my second chance at life,” she explained to Cycling Weekly last month. “There was a point where I didn’t think I was going to make it and if I did make it, they thought I might be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Now I’m at this point where my body hasn’t failed me and I’m ready to go out and show other people that it is possible. I’m just reflecting on gratitude and my privilege to be able to do this.

“I think one of the reasons I am interested in doing this ride and pushing myself to such a level is because it will allow me to reintroduce those feelings of discomfort and those dark moments that I experienced when I was ill. But now I’m coming at it from a place of strength. It’s my choice now. So, in a way, it will be quite healing for me and hopefully inspirational for some of the fundraising as well.”

More to follow…