Ride Land's End-John O'Groats - without straying far from home

Cyclists, runners, rowers, swimmers and even Pokemon Go trainers who want to travel the length of Great Britain without straying too far from home will be able to do so from 1 October with the launch of the first Land’s End to John O’Groats Virtual Challenge.

Devised by the Conqueror Event Series, participants log the mileage they undertake while exercising to chip away at the 1,083 miles needed to complete the challenge, which follows a virtual route that differs from the one cyclists would usually undertake on an End to End ride.

Accessible online and via iOS and Android apps, those taking part – whether as individuals or teams based on, for example, workplaces or sports clubs – can chart their progress against others as well as on a virtual leaderboard.

In what is claimed as a first – Scotland-based Australian Aaron Puzey, whom as reported on earlier this week is undertaking a Land’s End to John O’Groats ride from home, may dispute that – after each activity, participants can review the leg they have just completed using Google Street View.

> Man riding Land's End to John O'Groats... in virtual reality (+ video)

Passing sites such as Stonehenge and Edinburgh Castle on the virtual journey also unlocks virtual postcards, aimed at bringing the challenge to life.

There are options to complete the challenge within a three, six, nine or 12-month period, as well as a three-tier pricing structure for entry:

Bronze, costing £19 whether solo or as part of a team, gets you entry into the event, a 12-month upgrade to My Virtual Mission premium, a digital certificate of completion and one entry into prize draws.

Silver, costing £29, gets you all of that plus a t-shirt or a medal, plus two entries into prize draws.

Gold, which costs £39, carries the same benefits as bronze plus a medal and a t-shirt, plus three prize draw entries.

According to Conqueror Event Series founder, Adam El-Agez: “People find it much more interesting and motivating to visualise their progress towards their real world fitness objectives on a map instead of on boring charts and data tables.

“Taking on this longer term challenge is a step up from your typical 30-day fitness challenge and shows real commitment to achieving lasting gains from exercise,” he added.

“It’s the perfect tool for people who are training for an event, wanting to set a personal goal or looking for a fun and interesting challenge with friends or colleagues.”

Mileage can be logged using apps including Strava as well as Fitbit, RunKeeper and Map My Ride.

Further challenges from around the world will be added, and more information can be found here.