Football and Rugby Union cycle 2024km to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease Charities

The clubs united to cycle 2024km for the year 2024, raising over £800 for Motor Neurone Disease.

In an inspiring spark of teamwork and determination, athletes from Northumbria University's Football and Rugby Union team worked together to cycle an impressive 2024km for their chosen charities, Motor Neurone Disease Association (football) and My Name is Doddie (Rugby Union). The event took place Monday 30 September in Sport Central’s Atrium after a lot of hard work and planning by Club President’s Ben Lumm of Rugby Union and Ben Milburn of football.

Originally the goal was to cycle 1347km but the athletes exceeded this goal. They set their goal to cycle the distance from Lands End to John O’Groats (one end of the country to another) which they completed as part of the event.  

Although the event was run by Rugby Union and Football there was support from various other Northumbria Sport Clubs including Netball and Boxing. The event was open to everyone and even the clubs coaches got on the bikes. Extreme credibility to Callum Todd, part of men’s rugby union who single-handedly cycled an incredible 100km.

Ben Lumm said: “Originally our only concern was that we were not going to be able to reach our original goal as it is quite a distance to cycle. However, when we smashed this all we needed to do was ramp it up and we smashed that one too.”

Throughout the day the team regularly updated their progress on social media, to build excitement around the cause. “It was all about pushing our limits and we did,” Ben said. This challenge emphasised the athletes contribution to an amazing cause and seeing everyone come together to smash their goal.”

Between myself, and Ben Milburn, , we had come up with the idea as a way of building the bridge between the two sports in the name of a good cause.”

In addition to the cycle, the clubs ran a raffle on the day  with a variety of prizes to be won all in aid raising money of the MND charities.

The two club’s contribution to the MND charities, is an example of how sport can unite to make a difference. To read and learn more about both charities visit:

My Name is Doddy: https://www.myname5doddie.co.uk/about-mnd

MNDA: https://www.mndassociation.org/