Greg James receives warm Mackem welcome on mammoth Comic Relief challenge
He’s so far pedalled his way to raising more than a £1million for Comic Relief - and Greg James received a warm Mackem welcome as he rode into Sunderland.
The Radio 1 DJ is cycling his way from Weymouth to Edinburgh, covering 1000km in eight days, for the charity and he capped off day six of his feat in Sunderland.
It was a return to the city for the presenter who was last here in January to give away tickets for Radio 1’s Big Weekend, which takes place in Herrington Country Park from May 22-24, with headliners Fatboy Slim, Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean.
Riding into Keel Square on his trusty tandem bike “Tando Norris”, named after F1 star Lando Norris, Greg arrived to rapturous applause after cycling 145km from York.
Greg has been joined by some famous faces, friends and supporters the length of the route, including RH The Prince of Wales on day five.
Day five also saw double Olympic gold medallist and Tour De France winner Geraint Thomas and TV presenter Gethin Jones join Greg in the saddle, adding even more star power to an extraordinary day in which Greg was also surprised with a flyover from the Red Arrows.
After six relentless days on the tandem, Greg is running on empty, battling gruelling 10-hour days on the road, cold starts and an aching body, but still pushing through.
Speaking about how he’s feeling at this stage of the challenge, Greg said: “I’m definitely feeling it today. My legs are shot, I'm sore in places I didn’t even know existed, and sitting on the saddle is becoming a struggle. This is without a doubt, mentally and physically, the toughest thing I've done. By this point in my previous two Comic Relief challenges, I would have already completed them.”
And now, he’s making a heartfelt plea: he cannot do this alone.
Speaking about the challenge and why it matters, Greg said: “Doing stuff in your community is a big thing which we might have got distracted from for various reasons in life. Seeing people on the side of the roads, and at the finish lines, shows the power of what we can do when we come together.”
Greg, who was joined by BBC Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free on the tandem today, is spending the night in the city, before setting off for day 7 of the challenge from 9am tomorrow, Thursday, March 19.
Radio 1’s mobile broadcast unit is also back in Keel Square and the Breakfast Show will be broadcast live from the city tomorrow morning.
The presenter has previously done a similarly tough challenge for Sport Relief. In 2016 he completed five triathlons in five days across five different UK cities and in 2018 he cycled between - and climbed- Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Ben Nevis.
Money raised for Radio 1’s Longest Ride with Greg James for Red Nose Day could help fund vital projects supporting people facing incredibly tough times, both here in the UK and around the world, helping to put food on plates, provide safe places to sleep and support people who are at risk of poverty and harm.
You can track Greg’s progress and donate to the cause here https://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday/challenges/greg/tracking/