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Noel's Second Charity Challenge 2025
Those who know me and support my Charity Challenges know I do at least one Challenge every summer to raise funds for great causes. The challenges have included running a half marathon, a couple of triathlons, a virtual run from Glasgow to London, cycling a virtual Lands End to John o’ Groats and Scottish North Coast 500 back-to-back, and last year completing the Nordkapp Challenge - a 5566km virtual cycle ride south to north across Europe. So far in 2025 I took part in an abseiling event to raise money for Waverley Care.
The Tour de 4 has sneaked in as this year's second Charity Challenge because fighting the scourge of cancer is a cause close to my heart, but also because it is an organised cycling event, hosted by a true cycling professional and celebrity.
So what's this one all about then?
The Mission
Following Sir Chris Hoy's diagnosis with Stage 4 cancer, Tour De 4 was established with a clear purpose: to demonstrate that a Stage 4 diagnosis, while devastating, doesn't define the limits of what's possible.
Key Statistics
- 1 in 2 of us will be affected by cancer in our lifetime
- More than 3 million people are estimated to currently be living with cancer in the UK
- Over 300 cancer charities are registered in the UK
Chris' vision is to bring together people who have been affected by cancer - whether directly or indirectly - to challenge perceptions, inspire hope and raise vital funds for cancer charities across the UK.
I'm one of those fund raisers, and have been raising money for cancer related charities since 2020.
The Event
Starting and finishing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on Sunday 7th September 2025, my Tour de 4 is a 60km cycle ride heading north out of Glasgow, skirting the Campsie Fells and circling back round to finish back at the Velodrome.
60km for me in a single stage is not an every-day ride, so the old calf muscles might be complaining a bit by the end, but it's for a great cause - Cancer Research UK. These folks and their predecessors have been at work since 1902 in the fight against cancer, and they know where they are going:
The Vision
To bring about a world where everybody can lead longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.
A world where:
- Some types of cancer are effectively eliminated
- Many more are prevented from developing in the first place
- People who do develop cancer are diagnosed at the earliest possible stage so they can be successfully treated
- Treatments are more effective, kinder and more targeted, so people can lead better, more fulfilling lives
- Everyone shares in this progress equally, regardless of who they are, where they’re from or what type of cancer they have
The Ask
This is where you and I come in.
You might not have much time to spare, but you do have a wallet or a purse.
Please help me to help them to help others by chipping in a fiver, or a tenner, or even a twenty. It’s a small investment for you, but it makes a huge difference for them. And it IS an investment - an investment in our society’s future. Together, we can create a Scotland where cancer is conquered.
Let's do it!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for helping.
Noel
Organizer
Cancer Research UK
Beneficiary