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Ride through the heart of England in one of the most demanding and rewarding events of the year, raising money for Ambitious about Autism on the way.
08 July 2019Since its inception in 2014, our annual ride from Manchester to London – a 220-mile journey through rolling countryside of England – has become a September staple in many cyclists’ calendars. Lifelong friendships have been forged and we’ve raised more than a million pounds for Ambitious about Autism, a charity dedicated to improving opportunities for children and young people with autism.
Back for its sixth edition in 2019, M2L becomes L2M. Riders will set off from a new start location, London’s Allianz Arena, at midnight on Saturday, 31st August. Travelling towards the light of a new day, riders will navigate a redesigned route, including new off-road sections, and reach the new finish location at Adlington Hall by early evening. As well as the route reversal, there will also be a relay event for small teams of five.
"It was an epic experience, with remarkable views, perfectly supported and a real sense of accomplishment in finishing."
In the lead up to the event, riders will be supported in their fundraising and training. The ride itself is fully signposted, with feed stops serving locally sourced food and a fleet of support vehicles and a broom wagon to ensure no rider is left on the road or falls too far behind.
Entry costs £150. We ask each rider to raise £750 for Ambitious about Autism and have plenty of tips and tricks to help you reach the target.
Even when riding as an individual, this is an event that necessitates teamwork with others. For the first time, you can sign up to ride as a team this year in our L2M relay. Gather a team of four riders and a driver and ride the route in sections, changing over at each of the feedstations. To ensure nobody rides alone, two riders from the team must be on the road at all times while the designated driver must remain in the support vehicle. For safety reasons, drivers will be unable to provide support to riders on the event route itself.
Entry to the L2M Relay costs £200 per team. To take part, each team must raise £2000 for Ambitious about Autism.
“Fantastic route, well sign-posted. Hard to fault anything really.”
Our fully signposted route offers varied terrain, quiet country lanes, and stunning views. Feed stations are positioned every 50 miles or so, allowing for regular refreshments of locally-sourced food and drink
Riders must choose to represent the North or the South in a friendly competition to discover which region will record the lowest average ride time. The total time of all riders is collated to see which region earns bragging rights as fastest overall. Last year the North won for the first time, will they do it again this year?
“Far better than any other charity event I have taken part in. I felt engaged with the charity and those who will hopefully benefit from the funds raised.”
Our aim is to raise money for Ambitious about Autism, a charity which supports children and young people with autism by providing specialist education services. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects 1 in 100 people and the charity is one close to Rapha CEO and founder Simon Mottram, whose son Oscar has autism. The best place to start is with an online fundraising page. It will allow friends, family and colleagues to see what you are raising money for and why, and they will be able to give a donation on the spot. If you have any questions about fundraising, Ambitious about Autism will be more than happy to provide advice and inspiration to help you reach your target.
How much money do I have to raise for Ambitious about Autism and how much is it to enter?
Entry costs £150 and we ask each rider to raise £750 for the charity, or you can pay £750 up front to enter without fundraising. Team entry to the relay event costs £200 and we ask you to raise £2000 collectively.
Does the registration fee go towards the sponsorship target?
No, the registration only contributes towards the running costs of the event so your fundraising really counts towards helping Ambitious about Autism. Every penny you raise goes direct to their charitable work.
When do I need to have hit my fundraising target by?
Fundraising is a mandatory part of the event. Individual participants must have raised £500 and teams must have raised £1500 by the 1st July 2019 to be able to take part in London to Manchester 2019. You can continue fundraising until November 1st if you wish to raise more to hit or exceed your target.
Will there be a bag drop at the start or access to luggage during the ride?
You will leave your main luggage with us at the start of the ride, which will be transported straight to the finish. You can also give us a smaller ‘wet bag’ with spare kit and other items to be waiting for you at the third feed stop.
Where does North start?
North starts from Birmingham up. If you live or hail from Birmingham or the Midlands, you must pick an allegiance.
How should I train for this ride?
We will be providing training tips to all participants in the run-up to the ride. Our Clubhouses will also become hubs for advice and inside knowledge of the route.
How will I hit my target?
There are lots of ways to raise money and some great suggestions will be shared with participants in the run-up to the event. Ambitious about Autism can also support you and give you one-to-one advice to increase your chances of reaching the target.
What if I can’t complete the ride? Will there be a broom wagon?
No rider will be left on the road. There will be roadside support to help with any mechanicals and a broom wagon to pick up any riders not able to complete the whole route.
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