27 April 2011

All Set for Maggie’s Monster Bike and Hike 2011

WildFox Events have set the stage for another stunning bike and hike through the Great Glen this weekend to raise money for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres. The 73 mile course from Fort William crosses the Caledonian Canal and runs the entire length of Loch Ness before finishing in Inverness.

This year more than 600 participants are taking part in the 24-hour event, many walking through the night to reach Inverness on Sunday morning. In 2010 the challenge raised an incredible £600,000 towards helping people who live with cancer. “There is always and incredible atmosphere at Maggie’s,” commented WildFox Events Director David Fox-Pitt. “It feels so empowering to do something positive towards tackling cancer.” 

WildFox Events will be working flat out to ensure that all participants are well tended to at Maggie’s Bike and Hike. Marshals, Maggie’s volunteers and the Lochaber scouts will man checkpoints and water stops along the route. Catering staff are cooking up hundreds of portions of delicious pasta, stew, lasagne and curry along the way. The fine ladies of Invermoriston will also lay on a dazzling display of cake for the tired and weary. And teams from Athletes Angels will be on hand to gently revive participants with massage and physiotherapy.

Safety is absolutely paramount to WildFox Events. All participants must attend a safety briefing and their equipment is thoroughly checked before the event starts. Medical support teams from Matterhorn Medical, The Red Cross and the Mountain Rescue will be on hand to respond immediately to any incident.

Maggie’s Bike and Hike in numbers:

• 600 participants in Maggie’s Bike and Hike 2011
• 4,500 people have taken part since the event started in 2004
• £3.6 million has been raised by the event so far, helping to build and run Maggie’s cancer support centres across the UK
• Three finishing points: Bronze, Silver and Gold
• 73 miles to complete the Gold course in 24 hours from Fort William to Inverness
• Four checkpoints (Fort Augustus, Invermoriston, Drumnadrochit, Inverness) and nine water stops along the route
• More than 200 dedicated staff

Maggie’s Monster Bike and Hike is one of six great fundraising challenges being held by WildFox Events this summer. Over £20 million has been raised so far by WildFox’s events for good causes to date. “Our whole focus is on supporting great charities such as Maggie’s,” commented David Fox-Pitt.

Follow our live updates of the event on Twitter