We’re proud to announce that Keith Seaton, Project Manager at Balco UK, is going to cycle the length of Great Britain to raise money for St Ann’s Hospice in Manchester! Keith will be joined on the journey by two of his friends, Neil Bradbury & Eddie Kohler.

St Ann’s Hospice works tirelessly to care for patients, their families, and carers affected by cancer and life-limiting illnesses. If you would like to donate, please visit their Just Giving page.

The trio will set off on Saturday 22nd May, to begin the iconic 9-day challenge of cycling 958 miles (1,743 km’s) from Lands End in Cornwall to John O’Groats in Scotland.

We will be documenting the entire journey, so please keep checking in to our LinkedIn and here on balcouk.com for regular updates.

Everyone at Balco wishes Keith, Neil and Eddie the best of luck!

Day 2 – 24/05/2021

Yesterday, Keith, Neil & Eddie completed the first leg of their journey, 106 miles from Lands End to Oakhampton. Despite battling torrential rain all day, they still enjoyed the scenery that Cornwall had to offer, including seeing St Michael’s Mount for the first time. Let’s hope the weather improves for their ride today!

Journey: Okehampton to Bristol

Distance: 105.9 miles

Total cycle time so far: 8hours 32minutes

Watch the video from Day 1 below.

Day 3 – 25/05/21

Keith, Neil & Eddie enjoyed the second leg of their trip significantly more than the first! The weather improved and they only had to brave a couple of light showers. They even managed to stop at the Balco offices on their way through Somerset! Despite a tough climb at Cheddar Gorge, they were all feeling really good at the end of day 2.

Journey: Bristol to Ludlow

Distance: 81.38 miles

Total cycle time so far: 18 hours 54 minutes

Watch the video from Day 2 below.

Day 4 – 26/05/21

Yesterday was the toughest cycle so far. Despite Bristol to Ludlow being one of the easier rides on paper, Keith, Neil and Eddie found the journey more physically tiring. They were all looking forward to a good rest at the hotel before setting off on the 4th leg today.

Journey: Ludlow to Stockport

Distance: 101.86 miles

Total cycle time so far: 25 hours 48 minutes

Watch the video from Day 3 below.

Day 5 – 27/05/21

The cycling conditions on day 4 were perfect for Keith, Neil & Eddie. They reached their destination, Keith’s home town of Manchester in great time. Yesterday’s ride was a real highlight for the team as they purposely ended the trip at St Anne’s Hospice; the charity they are raising money for and the whole reason they took on this challenge!

Journey: Stockport to Penrith

Distance: 118.57 miles

Total cycle time so far: 33 hours 46 minutes

Watch the video from Day 4 below.

Day 6 – 28/05/21

Yesterday, Keith, Neil and Eddie were joined for 30 miles of their ride by current World Master’s Champion for the veterans age group, Bob Barber! Although it was technically the longest cycle of the trip, the scenery was stunning and it felt like the best ride so far. Even though the day ended with a 1000ft climb at Shap Fell!

Today’s cycle – Day 6

Journey: Penrith to Hamilton

Distance: 106.68 miles

Total cycle time so far: 42 hours 44 minutes

Watch the video from Day 4 below.

Day 7 – 29/05/21

Yesterday’s ride took Keith, Neil & Eddie across the border from Northern England into Scotland, where they will spend the last 3 days of their journey. It was a physically tough day because of the bumpy roads, but they’re really looking forward to an early start and seeing more of the Scottish scenery.

Today’s cycle – Day 7

Journey: Hamilton to Fort William

Distance: 113.22 miles

Total cycle time so far: 50 hours 30 minutes

Day 8 – 30/05/21

On day 7, Keith, Neil & Eddie made great progress through the Scottish Highlands, enjoying 113 miles of stunning landscapes. They ended the journey at Fort William in good time, passing the Trossachs and Glencoe along the way. This morning, they’ve made another early start on their penultimate day of cycling!

Today’s cycle – Day 8

Journey: Fort William to Lairg

Distance: 112.21 miles

Total cycle time so far: 59 hours 28 minutes

Day 9 – 31/05/21

After a tough 13 hours of cycling, Keith, Neil & Eddie were relieved to complete the penultimate day of their challenge. They battled gruelling hills and headwinds, but they finished the day in Lairg – the start point for the final leg of their journey.

Day 9 is now well underway and we’re all looking forward to hearing that they’ve arrived safely in John O’Groats!

Today’s cycle – Day 9

Journey: Lairg to John O’Groats

Distance: 99.9 miles

Total cycle time so far: 71 hours 42 minutes

Day 10 – 01/06/21

Journey complete! Congratulations to Keith Seaton, Neil Bradbury & Eddie Kohler for successfully finishing the epic challenge of cycling from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for St Anne’s Hospice in Manchester. After 9 days of cycling circa 100 miles a day, they finally reached their destination of John O’Groats at 7.30pm on Monday night!

Feeling physically tired but extremely proud, Keith said “Thank you to everyone who has supported the cause, and a special one to Balco – all my colleagues, from the Managers right up to the Directors, everyone has supported us with goodwill messages and more importantly financially, they’ve really helped us out. Without them, I don’t think we could have done it, so thank you everybody at Balco.”

What a fantastic achievement. Everyone at Balco sends them a huge congratulations!

Final cycle time: 85 hours 03 minutes

Watch the video from the final day here.

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