The C2C can fairly claim to be the most popular and the most widely known long distance cycle route in the UK, completed by many thousands of people each year. The majority take 3 – 4 days and relax on route. The longest option runs for around 140 miles across the northern edge of the Lake District, across the Eden Valley and across the beautifully bleak Northern Pennines before dropping down to the post-industrial landscape of the North-East. 
Keswick Lions, Mike Cooper and David Robinson along with Mike James chose the starting point of Workington for their one day challenge. Their back up car, driven by Lion Ray Hawcutt picked the trio up in Keswick at 2am on Wednesday ready for a 3am Start at the C2C marker point at Workington Harbour. Daylight came at about 4am after cycling through Cockermouth. With plenty of rest and water stops en route the trio’s first hard slog was up to Hartside Summit at 1903 feet. This was almost half way at 70 miles.
A headwind stopped the exhilarating decent and free-wheeling. Three more major climbs of Garrigill, Nenthead, and Crawlyside Bank in Stanhope before the relatively flat final 35 miles through old railway footpaths and on into Sunderland.

The coast was reached just before 10pm after a total of nineteen hours. One puncture and jammed brakes were the only hold ups on this fantastic one day crossing.