A dedicated motorcyclist from North Nottinghamshire is preparing to undertake an extraordinary challenge: riding a £500 motorbike over 1,000 miles from Lands End to John O'Groats in just 24 hours, without using motorways.
Keith Huddart, 50, from New Ollerton, will embark on this gruelling journey as part of The Longest Day Challenge on Sunday, June 21, raising money for Cancer Research UK. The ride is not merely an endurance test but a deeply personal mission in memory of his late mother, June, who passed away from cancer in 1990 at the age of 50, when Keith was just 14.
Reaching that milestone age this year inspired Keith to do something bold in her memory. He said: "I turned 50 myself this year, and now have my own children, so it's made me think a lot about mum and everything she missed out on. She was only 50 when she passed away. I wanted to do something meaningful, something that would push me and something she'd be proud of."
The challenge certainly fits the bill. Riding from one end of the UK to the other is demanding enough, but completing the journey in a single day—and avoiding motorways entirely—adds a whole new level of difficulty. Keith will rely on A-roads, rural routes, and sheer determination as he battles fatigue, unpredictable weather, and the physical strain of long-distance riding. As a comparable distance, it is like riding from London to Barcelona.
His bike of choice is a modest £500 machine, a 2001 Honda Deauville 650, bought specifically for the challenge. It may not be the most powerful or high-tech model on the road, but Keith says that is part of the point. He said: "It's not about having the best bike, it's about the journey, the cause, and proving that you don't need an expensive machine to make a difference. If anything, doing it on a budget bike makes it more of an adventure."
Keith has already received support from friends, family, and fellow bikers, many of whom have been touched by cancer themselves. He hopes his effort will raise both money and awareness while honouring his mother's memory. He said: "I just want to give something back. If this ride helps even one family going through what we went through, then every mile will be worth it."
You can support Keith's cause through his fundraising page. The challenge is organised in partnership with Newark and Sherwood District Council.
