A 6am start on Newcastle Quayside, followed by the watbus to Whitehaven, saw spirits high and nerves jangling in equal measure for everyone, including our first-time riders Becky Windsor (SAJ), Josh Brown and Robin Sawcyn (Sunderland City Council). We were also delighted to welcome back Paul Adams (Walk, Wheel and Cycle Trust), who once again brought experience, positivity and endless enthusiasm to the weekend.

Fortunately, the Sunderland contingent had Peter Kennedy on hand. Bringing years of experience, supreme climbing ability and perhaps the greatest cycling vocabulary known to man, riders quickly became familiar with terms such as lumps and bumps, snots, false flats, bimbles and, of course, "get it in the big ring!"

No sooner had the Sunderland group found their rhythm than disaster struck. Poor Jack Thomas suffered the first of two punctures, with a shard of glass slicing through his rear tyre just 10 miles into a 150-mile weekend.

Apart from the brutal climb up Whinlatter Pass, where the soaring temperatures tested everyone, Day 1 passed largely without incident. Quote of the day belonged to Will Binks (Northumberland County Council), proudly reminding everyone:
"It's not a race... but I was first up Whinlatter."

Friday evening in Penrith was a careful balancing act between enjoying the social side of the weekend and conserving enough energy for Day 2's infamous climbs, including Hartside Pass and Garrigill.

Our only e-bike rider, James Stanfield (Newcastle University), was quick to point out that any ‘idle banter’ on the climbs would interfere with his podcast on The History of Hadrian's Wall.

Meanwhile, Paul McKenna (TNC) ignored Peter Kennedy's advice about pacing himself, attacked every climb... and then somehow managed to take a "wrong turn" that conveniently avoided Garrigill altogether. His explanation that it was a genuine navigational error was met with widespread scepticism from the rest of the group!

John Errington and Reagan Johnson (Waterman Aspen) perfectly demonstrated what Coast to Coast is all about: teamwork, encouragement, plenty of laughs and both recording personal bests compared with last year... all whilst somehow remaining in Zone 1 according to the watch for much of the ride.

Ian Guard (WSP) was once again the heart and soul of the weekend. Staying true to his promise of looking after those at the back of the pack (namely himself!), Ian's encouragement never wavered. Despite significantly improving on last year's performance, he still managed to forget his Garmin charger. As every cyclist knows...If it isn't on Strava, did it even happen?

Returning to Tynemouth dressed as footballers representing nations from past and present rounded off a fantastic weekend and gave everyone waiting at the finish something to smile about.

Most importantly, together we've now raised more than £2,500 for NE Youth, with donations still coming in. A huge thank you to everyone who took part, supported the event and helped make another unforgettable Coast to Coast possible.

Finally, special thanks go to Paul's dad, who expertly fulfilled his role as support driver... while somehow claiming the best hotel room on night one (sending Paul's carefully crafted spreadsheet into meltdown) before flattening the car battery in Tynemouth after listening to the radio all afternoon. This left Paul with no option but to catch the Metro and cycle home after completing 150 miles – something he was understandably a little miffed about. A fitting end to a memorable weekend!

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Coast to Coast such a success. We can't wait to do it all again next year.
If you'd still like to support our fundraising for NE Youth, donations are still very welcome:

https://www.justgiving.com/team/cihtc2c2026?utm_medium=TE&utm_source=CL