Queen
Eleanor
Cycle
Ride
Welcome to the Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride
(25-28 August 2023)
FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE QECR 2023
please click here
Are you a regular cyclist, who’s looking for a bit of a challenge, a fun Bank Holiday weekend, a touch of history, and an opportunity to raise money for a very worthy cause, all rolled into one? If so, look no further - the Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride 2023 (QECR) is the place for you!
The QECR is a 4-day sponsored cycle ride, which takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend every year. The 200-mile route follows quiet roads through glorious countryside from Harby, near Lincoln, to London. Day cyclists are also welcome.
The challenges of the past couple of years have meant that some cyclists stayed at home but still committed to cycling 200 miles in aid of those on the street. We are offering this option again in 2023. Even if you can’t join the Group Ride, you can still take part and help support the Connection’s work. At home you can set your own cycling goal. One fundraiser did 200 miles in a day, whilst two young boys, aged 6 and 8, completed 200 miles in their summer holidays.
The QECR is organised by the Friends of the Connection at St Martin’s, and its ultimate purpose is to raise funds to support the work of the Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields, a fantastic organisation based just off Trafalgar Square which supports homeless people in central London, to help them on the journey to find a place they call home. Since the start of the pandemic, this has included setting up and running accommodation in hotels for some of our most vulnerable in society. You can read more about the Connection and its work here.
There is no required sponsorship target, but in recent years the average raised by each cyclist has been between £500 and £1,000, and some raise much more. Our 2022 Ride raised almost £20,000.
In 2023, there will be room for up to 40 cyclists on the traditional route itself. We cycle in smaller groups (matching cyclists with comparable average speeds). In recent years, the age range has been from 16 to over 70 (16 and 17-year olds will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult). We sleep in churches and church halls, all our meals are provided, mostly by generous local hosts who welcome us back year after year, and we have a support team in vehicles which carry our luggage and who provide emergency assistance whenever needed. If you want more details, check our FAQs here.
And why the Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride? The route follows the locations of the 12 Queen Eleanor Crosses, which Edward 1 built in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile, after she died in Harby in 1290, to central London. The final Queen Eleanor Cross is Charing Cross, very near to the Connection's centre of operation. You can read more about the route here and if you want to know more about the historical background, it’s here.
So what are you waiting for? You will find more details about Taking Part and how to register here.
If you want more information about the QECR, please email queeneleanorcycle@gmail.com
