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Video: New film follows penny farthing rider as he breaks 133-year-old Land's End to John O'Groats record

Richard Thoday rode the end-to-end in 4 days 11 hours and 52 minutes - and raised over £10k for Children in Need

A film has been released charting Richard Thoday’s successful attempt in July on the Penny Farthing Land’s End to John O’Groats Guinness World Record, with the previous record having stood for an astonishing 133 years.

The film was released to coincide with Friday’s BBC Children in Need with Thoday, a teacher from Derbyshire, raising more than £10,000 for the charity through his page on Just Giving.

The previous record of 5 days, 1 hour 45 minutes had been set by 18-year-old George Pilkington Mills in 1886, knocking more than a day off the then fastest end-to-end penny farthing ride.

Thoday, aged 55, was supported by family and friends and also had the backing of Round-the-World Guinness World Record holder Mark Beaumont, and completed the challenge in 4 days, 11 hours and 52 minutes.

He said: “Thank you to every one of the many people who came to stand at the side of the road and cheer me on.

“I never got a chance to speak to you, but without your support, it would have been so much harder and very lonely.”

The 18-minute film was produced by 4Season Collective and funded by Long Rake Spar Co. whose managing director, Trevor Broadhurst, said: “Long Rake Spar are incredibly proud of the hard work and effort put in by Richard and all of the crew, a local Penny Farthing enthusiast and now an official World Record Holder has been an exciting project to be a part of, and we look forward to seeing his next adventure.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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4 comments

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.... | 4 years ago
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Yours is a valid comment and I regret mine. I was drunk and posting nonsense. Not quite sure why you feel the need to type out your bodily functions though.

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.... | 4 years ago
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I think the focus should be on the people who donated the £10, 000 rather than the  guy who holidays up to Scotland.

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vonhelmet replied to .... | 4 years ago
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Ubu wrote:

I think the focus should be on the people who donated the £10, 000 rather than the  guy who holidays up to Scotland.

Yawn. Never mind that they might not have donated or donated as much otherwise.

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TeresaDay | 4 years ago
1 like

That's amazing! Took me 22 days on a normal touring bike...

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