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So, you fancy a crack at the 48-hour challenge, do you? Well the rules, such as they are, are set out below. Once you have decided you are interested you can REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE. You are not committing to anything yet I just want to gauge interest so I can figure out if I am racing against 5 people 50 or 500 (seems unlikely).
All riders will start at 6 pm on Friday 20th May finishing at point X at 6 pm Sunday 22nd. For WLRCC riders we are starting at Dough & Brew.
The ride is only open to subscribers to my YouTube channel. I mean you can do it yourself anyway, but I won't count it and won't publish your details in the event video.
The winner will be the person who has ridden the furthest point away from Warwick in that 48 hours. The distance measured will be a straight line (as the crow flies) using Google maps. The winner may therefore not necessarily have ridden the most kilometres.
All riders must ride solo and unsupported for the entire journey (I.e. with no planned support along the way of any kind). You can of course visit shops, stay in hotels along the way. The idea is that you are self-sufficient and carry everything with you that you need.
Riders can choose their own route, when and where to stop, what to ride and what to bring. You can choose to stay in a 5-star hotel or sleep in a ditch for all I care.
Riders can make use of trains or ferries but aeroplanes and cars are not allowed.
Any kilometres covered by train or ferry will be subtracted from the end total.
Riders must submit their intended train or ferry journeys to an independent adjudicator in advance with the total of agreed kilometres to be subtracted fixed before the ride starts. That way we will avoid arguments post-challenge from people saying 'I didn't know you would penalise me 200km for sailing to Spain'.
Riders should not share their intended route and destination with anyone in advance, except the independent adjudicator. Mainly because I think the surprise will add to the fun and it will avoid the temptation to partner up.
Riders are responsible for their own safety, costs and travel insurance etc.
Riders must record every day/ section on Strava. Missing sections will not be counted. If it isn't on Strava, it didn't happen.
Riders must allow their ride to be tracked if we decide to use a GPS tracker.
Riders must send a photo of themselves taken at 6 pm at the start, middle and final days with the location tagged to the independent admin (who will then post them on Instagram).
I would love it if all riders kept a video diary of some sort so that the content could eventually be shared on the riding the Long Way Home YouTube channel
You can get home from your endpoint any way you choose.
For clarification on how the winner is selected watch my see example on YouTube
The idea is that the challenge is not just about how far you can ride physically, but how smart you are in planning in advance, so the race isn't necessarily won by the strongest rider.