London to Brighton Bike Ride raises £1m for lifesaving research

OVER 12,000 cyclists pedalled their way to success in the London to Brighton Bike Ride recently, for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).  

The determined riders took on the mammoth distance from Clapham Common to the Brighton seafront, all with the same mission to fund lifesaving research. 

The BHF’s flagship fundraising event, which has now been running for almost half a century, raised a staggering £1 million to help the charity fund more groundbreaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases. 

Cyclists from a variety of ages and backgrounds took to the roads for this historic cycling event that has raised over £50 million for the BHF over the last 47 years.  

Many participants had emotive reasons for taking part, such as Brian Williams from Eastbourne, who was riding in memory of his son Darren, who tragically passed away from a heart condition.  

Brian, aged 62, said:

“Today’s ride was incredible but emotional. It’s been a hard few months of training and this is my tenth time taking on the event. 

“The BHF means a lot to my family and me after our son passed away when he was 31 because of a heart condition. This tragic loss has been immensely hard and it feels good to do something tangible like this in his memory. The bike ride gives me the time and space to remember him years on. 

“It’s important to carry on supporting the BHF so they can continue to fund cures and treatments for the 7.6 million people in the UK with heart or circulatory conditions.” 

Also participating in this year’s event, was GB Olympic athlete Ellie Downie, who took part in memory of her brother Josh, who died from a sudden cardiac arrest at just 24 years old.   

Ellie, who was recently awarded an MBE said:

“The harrowing experience of losing Josh affected our family immensely and I want to do what I can to stop other families going through the same. Taking part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride has been part of this.  

“Every week in the UK, at least 12 young people under 35 die from an undiagnosed heart condition. Seeing just how quickly someone you love can be taken away, is such a stark reminder of how precious our time in this world is. My brother Josh’s life was just beginning. I wanted to help the millions of other people and families affected by heart conditions by doing my bit for the BHF.” 

Renowned scientist Patrick Vallance also took on the bike ride as a way to thank the charity for funding some of his early career. Sir Patrick headed up a team of scientists who fundraised just under £28,000 to support groundbreaking research into how to better prevent, diagnose and treat heart diseases. 

Roisin Atkinson, Senior Events Manager at the BHF, added:

“It was fantastic to see the passion and determination of our riders on Sunday. Without the commitment of our cyclists, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.      

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part in our London to Brighton Bike Ride never fails to impress us. This event is one of the highlights in our events calendar and has been running for almost half a century.  The ballot for next year’s event is now open, so we’d urge everyone to sign up to help us fund vital research to save and improve more lives.”        

London to Brighton Bike Ride 2025 ballot is now open: bhf.org.uk/L2B.