A DUKINFIELD motorcyclist has completed a gruelling 1,000-mile endurance ride for charity.
Mark Towler finished his mammoth solo journey in less than 24 hours while raising money for Francis House Children’s Hospice.
The 64-year-old licensed aircraft engineer and experienced long-distance rider set off from his home at 2am on Saturday, August 1, and covered 1,038 miles in just 18.5 hours.
Mark, who is a member of the Iron Butt Association, travelled from Dukinfield into Scotland and back, taking in Dumbarton, Fort William, Inverness, Wick, John O’Groats, Thurso, Perth, Edinburgh and Jedburgh before returning via the Woodhead Pass.
Despite the physical demands of the ride and challenging weather conditions, he successfully completed the challenge.
Sharing the news afterwards, Mark told the Correspondent: “I made it! 18.5 hours, gruelling weather, a very sore backside, and exactly 1,038 miles later, the endurance ride for Francis House Children’s Hospice is officially complete!”
The ride was particularly challenging through the night, but Mark said the support of people following his challenge helped him keep going.
“Pushing through the night is still one of the hardest things of the ride, but knowing I had all of you backing me kept my wheels turning.”
Mark was doing it to raise funds and awareness for Francis House, which provides care and support for children and young people with life-shortening conditions and their families across Greater Manchester, including Tameside.
He covered all the costs of his ride himself, meaning donations can go directly towards supporting the Didsbury-based hospice.
The challenge also marked 10 years since Mark and fellow biker David Meredith joined the Iron Butt Association after passing their entrance test in June 2016. The pair have completed several demanding long-distance rides together, including the “Four Corners of the UK” challenge, covering 1,425 miles in 23 hours and 55 minutes.
This time Mark took on the challenge alone, with David, 59, recovering from major spinal surgery.
Before setting off, Mark explained why he had chosen Francis House as the beneficiary of his latest endurance test.
“While hospitals focus on curing illness, Francis House focuses entirely on the care of children and young people for whom a cure is unlikely,” he said. “They provide comfort, dignity, and high-quality clinical care, alongside essential short-term rest and bereavement support for their families.
“Because their life-changing services are provided completely free of charge, they rely almost entirely on donations to survive.”
Reflecting on the successful completion of the ride, Mark thanked everyone who has supported him.
“Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the donations, messages, and support. We did it!”
His challenge has raised over £1,200 and you can still contribute to Mark’s total for Francis House by donating via his JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-towler-1