Two Gregory Group employees are taking on an epic challenge to cycle 1,000 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End to raise money for Mind - the 2025 Gregory Group Charity of the Year. Stay tuned to follow their journey.
Kevin Murrin, a convenor, and Darren Clifford, an HGV Driver are bravely taking on the British hills (and weather!) to raise money for Mind - a mental health charity which aims to make mental health an everyday priority.
The brainchild of Kevin Murrin, this challenge will see the pair weave their way through the UK, stopping at as many Gregory depots as possible. Follow there progress on this page and if you'd like to donate, you can do so here.
Day 16
The final day! Just over 40 miles to go and a mere 2,500ft of hills in-between the cyclists and the finish line! Yesterday was really tough as the hills of Devon and Cornwall made themselves very known. To put this into context, on their first day leaving John O'Groats, Darren and Kevin averaged 56ft of elevation gain per mile - yesterday they averaged 87ft of elevation per mile. Devon and Cornwall are brutal to cycle through but there will be nothing that stops them from getting to that finish line today!
Day 15
Yesterday they received two warm welcomes, one from Cullompton and another later in the day from the North Tawton depot. It has given the cyclists the boost they need as they stretch out for the finish line. Today they cross into Cornwall which means the end really is on the horizon. One more day to go and these two gents are more determined that ever to complete this challenge.
Day 14
A relatively smooth ride yesterday set Darren and Kevin off to a good start today as they began in familiar territory in Cullompton. With lots of people coming out to show their support, they were energised to complete the next leg to North Tawton. What was even better was that they were joined by another employee, Jonathan, who helped keep their spirits up all the way.
Day 13
Yesterday involved a double depot visit so thank you to everyone at our Bristol sites that gave our cyclists an opportunity to refuel - both physically and mentally. Kevin and Darren have now clocked up over 900 miles, and while exhaustion is very present, their determination is unwavering. Today they take on another 70 miles as they travel from Bristol to Cullompton.
Day 12
A warm welcome at our Telford depot, got the gents off to a good start yesterday. Back to the usual British Summer of rain, Kevin and Darren were in familiar territory! Thankfully Kevin's injury is holding up and aside from having to make way for a police chase, it was a good day. Today, brings a slight respite with just 60 miles to cover and a visit to two of our depots in Bristol. Three more counties to go - the home straight is almost visible!
Day 11
The extent of the challenge has now taken hold with Kevin sustaining an injury to his leg. Not one to give up, he persevered through the pain yesterday, but given it was another day of 80 miles it was a mental and physical battle which meant they didn't reach their destination until 1:30am. Today he is showing no sign of stopping, determined that with some ice and painkillers, he will be able to keep going. If they succeed, they will have two-thirds of the total miles behind them. But there's still over 300 to go with their bodies at breaking point. They need every bit of support you can give them today.
Day 10
We hope that yesterday marks the end of the super hot weather. It was another brutal trip that didn't see them reach their destination until 10pm. Unfortunately Kev also had a tumble, but he's most definitely not giving in! Today they are taking on over 80 miles as they travel from Wigan to Telford. Here's hoping today is a bit kinder to them.
Day 9
There's no let up for the boys - yesterday was another very challenging day involving 30 degree heat, a LOT of hills and 10 hours in the saddle. It was also the day that they crossed into England. The forecast suggests that today is the final day of extreme heat but to get to the end, Darren and Kev need to cycle another 70 miles from Kendal to Wigan. They are going to be digging deep to get through this one.
Day 8
As expected, yesterday was brutal. Due to the soaring temperatures, Kev and Darren had to constantly stop to try and stay hydrated. As a result, they were on the road for 13 hours. The forecast isn't looking any kinder today and they have 70 miles to cover before they reach tonight's resting point in Kendal. Today will most definitely be a test of their mental and physical health.
Day 7
As the gents reach the one week mark they are about to embark on their hottest day yet which consists of a whopping 85 miles to get them to Ecclefechan. They are burning 4,000-5,000 calories every day so this morning started with a hearty breakfast. The water consumption is going to be extensive today as is the sun cream application!
Day 6
Today has a double treat for the cycling duo - a stop at our Bathgate and Queenslie depots. They are definitely more upbeat this morning filled with the joys of there "not being quite so many hills today". Furthermore, for the journey between Bathgate and Queenslie, they have the company of Malcolm, our Director for Scotland, to keep their spirits high.
Day 5
The hills certainly took their toll yesterday with the enormity of the challenge sinking in. But with a good rest in Perth, the team are reunited with their bikes this morning and ready to travel 50 miles to our Grangemouth depot where a warm welcome awaits them.
Day 4
The sun is shining and Darren and Kevin are leaving their hostel in Dalwhinnie with a 63 mile cycle to Perth ahead of them. Today they will wave the beautiful scenery, but brutal hills(!), of the Scottish Highlands farewell.
Day 3
The first visit to a Gregory Group depot - Darren and Kev call in at Inverness. After a very warm welcome they set off for Dalwhinnie - a 70 mile trip, 47 of which were uphill!
Day 2
What an amazing achievement yesterday. After 14 hours of travelling and a well earned rest, the boys are back on their bikes and in good spirits. Today their destination is Inverness. They just have 66 miles and a lot of the Scottish Highlands to navigate! Kev said this ones were "good miles which felt easy in comparison to the day before"!
Day 1
The nerves are very real! An overcast John O'Groats delivers a chilly and very blustery start for the boys. The longest of all the legs with 83 miles to cover. To make that even worse, the final 3 miles are a hill climb with a 6% slope. Ouch! The result: 14 hours of travelling
5 days before departure
After months of relentless training, including endless tweaks to their bikes and ridiculously early starts, the countdown is on! Kevin, Darren and support driver Mike, prepare to make their way to John O'Groats to start their enormous journey south. We spoke to them both to see how the preparations are going. Kevin said:
"It's all feeling rather real now! I've got one 10 mile training ride to do and then I'll be resting until Saturday. While I'm familiar with a challenge (last year I walked 110 miles for charity) this one feels big! I just hope the weather is kind to us and people cheer us along as we go."
Darren's mindset is similar:
"While you put in the miles beforehand, nothing can really prepare you for the real thing. I've competed in ultra marathons before and yes, you have to ensure you are mentally and physically fit, but it is the people around you that get you through. I couldn't think of anyone better to do it with than Kev. He's as determined as me and we've both put in the work to enable us to achieve this. But, as Kevin said, we need as much support as possible. If you see us on our journey, give us a wave. It will give us the boost we need to get over the next hill!"
The route
Starting at John O'Groats on Saturday 5th July, the team will ride their way down the country (although they are under no illusions that it will be "down" hill!) over a 16 day period. Their stops along the way will be:
Saturday 5th July - finish in Lairg
Sunday 6th July - finish in Inverness
Monday 7th July - finish in Dalwhinnie
Tuesday 8th July - finish in Perth
Wednesday 9th July - finish in Livingston
Thursday 10th July - finish in Queenslie
Friday 11th July - finish in Ecclefechan
Saturday 12th July - finish in Kendal
Sunday 13th July - finish in Wigan
Monday 14th July - finish in Telford
Tuesday 15th July - finish in Tewksbury
Wednesday 16th July - finish in Bristol
Thursday 17th July - finish in Cullompton
Friday 18th July - finish in North Tawton
Saturday 19th July - finish in Fraddon
Sunday 20th July - finish in Land's End (and begin the recovery process!)
Their motivation
We asked Kevin and Darren why they took on this challenge and here is what they said:
“At 66 most people retire, but not me! I’ve been a retained firefighter for 42 years and I think the training and discipline instilled in me from that make challenges such as this irresistible!
“I have lived in in North Tawton all my life, which is the headquarters of Gregory Group and where the business was founded. I’ve watched the company grow and do so much for our local economy and community, including supporting the local fire service, so I was keen to give something back." Kevin Murrin
“I love the freedom of being an HGV driver, but as a tramper who spends 5 days in my lorry, sleeping in the cab, I spend a lot of time in my own company. There are times when your mental health suffers, and I was keen to raise the profile of Mind and the support they have available. For me, exercise, particularly getting out on my bike, is brilliant for my mental health, so, when Kevin approached me, I just couldn’t say no!”
About the Gregory Group Charity of the Year
Every year, Gregory Group employees select a charity to support and collectively fundraise throughout the year. This year, the vote went to Mind – a mental health charity. 1 in 4 of us have mental health problems but most of us don't get the help we need. Mind want to change this. Thanks to their work, last year, Mind responded to 122,000 support helpline queries and their mental health information was accessed 25.3 million times. For more information, visit the Mind website.
With thanks
To help make this challenge happen, we've had the support of some of our suppliers so a special thank you to Framptons, Streamline, Enterprise, AS Signs & Graphics, and Don Bur.
