All Roads Lead to Leeds weekender raises almost £50,000

Just under 300 miles cycled over four days, 24 miles of walking with 1,585 meters of climbing in one day and nearly £50,000 raised for the work we do in Southampton.

Our Big Bike Ride team set off at 9am from St Mary’s on Wednesday morning knowing that in just over 72 hours they will be rolling into Elland Road ready to cheer on Saints against Leeds.

With race leaders Ben Gregson and EFL Community Champion Phil Dunn leading the way, our intrepid cyclists took to country lanes and main roads alike through Didcot, Leicester, Barnsley and everything in between, with just one puncture along the way.

Most welcoming rest stops in town halls, cricket clubs, churches and teahouses; We met lovely hosts up and down the country, even meeting Saints fan Tim in Tickhill, South Yorkshire.

Arriving at Elland Road, huge cheers and congratulations from Saints and Leeds fans alike, our riders showered in a gym in town before a hurried taxi ride back to the home of Leeds United.

As it stands our Hero Bike Riders have raised £8,000 for the Saints Foundation, you can still donate and support them as they deserve every penny for a monumental achievement: https://saintsfoundation.enthuse.com/cf/saints-big-bike-ride

24 hours earlier, as our riders set off on their longest day from King Power Stadium, Benali on Tour was beginning its march over the Three Peaks.

Over the next 12 hours, Franny Benali and the team climbed steep slopes for 24 miles. Stickers plastered across the iconic Yorkshire mountains as the team conquered each peak.

The day’s conditions were much more generous than forecast, with the predicted rain coming just as our Saints were descending the final peak, and the thick fog that descended for the earlier peaks did not obscure the beautiful views.

Franny spoke to former Saints Goalkeeper Peter to remember what it was all about. When Pete started our projects, after being diagnosed with long-term COVID, he said he “couldn’t even walk 20 meters”. However, he was one of our incredible hikers who reached the top of every peak.

Over Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough; Despite the initial jubilation of reaching the third summit, a longer-than-expected final descent and walk to the finish put a slight damper on the celebrations.

However, when the finish line was reached, Franny was delighted to be able to present all participants with a commemorative map made by the Ordnance Survey, complete with a Benali on Tour sticker and signed by the man himself.

With shaky legs but a great sense of achievement, the Benali on Tour team would meet the Big Bike Riders the very next day to watch the Saints on a victorious run against Leeds United.

Franny and the Marching Saints managed to raise an incredible £40,000, meaning the All Roads Lead to Leeds weekend player raised a grand total of almost £50,000 to support the work we do in the community of Southampton.

You can still be in the growing numbers by donating to Benali on tour: https://saintsfoundation.enthuse.com/cf/benali-on-tour