Sarah has taken the overall record, beating the fastest man by 6 hours 43 minutes and fastest woman by 4 days 17 hours 40 minutes, as the stounding ride took her from Scotland’s John O’Groats to England’s Land’s End and back with less than 8 hours of sleep
Credit: James Busby Images
The total time taken for Dr Sarah Ruggins, 37, head of investment specialists at St. James’s Place, to travel the 2700 km from John O’Groats to Lands End and back again, improves on the men’s record (5 days 18 hours 3 minutes) – held by James MacDonald since 2017 – by 6 hours 43 minutes.
She beat the former women’s record (10 days 5 hours) – held by Louise Harris since 2023 – by an incredible 4 days 17 hours 40 minutes.
On crossing the finish line at 19:14 on Friday 16 May, Sarah said:
“I honestly don’t know how to describe how this feels. I can’t quite believe that this experience is over – it was so, so hard.
“The support I experienced across the UK from the moment I set off last Sunday in Scotland both online and in person was incredible; hundreds of people took time out of their day to wave and cheer me and the crew past both on the way down the country and back up again. There were some incredibly hard moments along the way but seeing people out on the roadside and watching donations to our fundraiser come in on my phone while I was on the bike was a huge motivator.
“I’ve been riding a bike for over five days so right now I mostly want a shower and to brush my teeth! It’s crazy to know I’ve actually now finished the thing I set out to do all those months ago.”
Incredibly, Gloucestershire-based Sarah, 37, only began riding bikes two years ago. A promising track athlete in her youth in Canada, her ambitions were cut short at age 15 when she developed a rare and debilitating autoimmune disease, one so painful it cost her the ability to walk, use her hands, or move without help.
After years of recovery and regaining her mobility, she began training to break the Land’s End to John O’Groats running record, however a series of major injuries ended this dream. Refusing to back down, she has taken the chance to find out what she can achieve on two wheels instead.
Sarah has used this record attempt to raise money for The Bike Project and Bikes for Refugees, two organisations that use cycling to support people rebuilding their lives in the UK. So far, she has raised more than £14,000 to help provide refugees with the freedom, independence and access to essential services that a bike brings. Supporters can donate via GiveWheel on www.lejogle.org.
Sarah’s journey from hospital bed to the brink of cycling history is also the subject of a forthcoming feature documentary (working title: UNBREAKABLE), currently in production by Sourcy, a Gloucestershire-based, multi-award-winning team known for its powerful storytelling in sport.
Her record attempt has been made possible thanks to MOJU, with additional support from Liv Cycling, Restrap, and Precision Hydration.
