LEJOG 2026: From Inspiration to Destination

A personal account by David Glenn

Lands End to John o Groats (LEJOG) June/July 2026 with Peak Tours

The challenge to do LEJOG was a fantasy  I thought I would never do. The organisation and logistics seemed too difficult and I didn’t want to do it on my own.

The inspiration and belief it was possible came at an NRC evening social when John & Lorraine Murrell gave a talk to members about their journey doing LEJOG in August 2023.

A brilliant presentation full of anecdotes, great pictures and a feeling of excellent team work. They had gone with a company called Peak Tours based in Glossop, Derbyshire and were full of praise for the organisation. More importantly they said an 80 year old had done it!! So that was me hooked.

Mark (Greenwood) and I have known each other for many years but only cycled together over the last 4 years. When I mentioned the LEJOG as a challenge he was enthusiastic to give it a go. So, we booked with Peak Tours in October 25 for a trip in June 26.

From the very start you could feel the organisation was good. There would be a maximum of 24 on the tour with three guides / support staff (two driving support vans and one as a tail rider). Not only were they carrying our bags they were experienced cyclists with repair kit & tools and even spare cycles. Just in case.

Their primary objective was to help us achieve the challenge and enjoy it.

On the run up to June 20 we received detailed information about the routes and accommodation.

Mark & I were fairly regular weekly riders, so our training programme was just to increase the number & length of rides. We knew we could do 70 or 100 miles in a day but could we do 70 miles a day every day for 14 days??

The plan was travel to St Just to meet the rest of the team on Saturday evening 20 June. We had booked and reserved seating on the 9:20am train out of Newbury. First problem. Train was rammed and the cycle space was full of luggage and reserved seats occupied but also a bit far from the bikes for our liking. We reorganised all the luggage to get our bikes in with luggage on and around and managed to find separate seats nearer the bike so we could keep an eye on them and help move luggage so they didn’t get damaged.

We arrived in Penzance around 2;45 and the Peak team were they to welcome us and take bags. We then cycled the 10 miles to our hotel at St Just. Team briefing and introductions early evening followed by dinner. A great eclectic mix of people from all walks of life ranging from late 20’s to early 70’s. Ave age profile early to mid-60’s. Male to female ratio 60/40. Included two Australians, 1 Canadian and a doctor from Mozambique.

The weather forecast for the ride looked foreboding with temperatures for the first week reaching the mid 30’s.

Day 1 Sunday June 21

We all had breakfast, sorted our bikes and bags in the van. Cycled to Lands End for 8:30 for photos etc ready for a 9am start.

Fabulous sunny ride with sea breeze to Fowey. Lumpy but with stunning views. Stayed in lovely pub overlooking the harbour.

Day 2 Fowey via Plymouth & Dartmoor to Moretonhampstead

66 miles but with 2000m of climbing over Dartmoor. Which despite the warm weather forecast included wind and heavy rain over Dartmoor.

Day 3. Mortonhampstead to Street

Incredibly hot, never realised I could drink so much. Ditched the cycling jersey for a white linen long sleeved shirt for better protection and cooler. Excellent riding especially through Exeter.

Day 4 Street to Monmouth

Excellent day cycling. Stunning ride through Wells right by the cathedral. Amazing routing through / round Bristol taking in Ashton Park and across the Clifton and Severn bridges. Very picturesque up the Wye Valley but lumpy as the main route along the Wye was closed due to rockfall so we had to divert over more hills. More tree cover today giving some shade from sun.

Day 5 Monmouth to Clun

Another stunning ride with lunch at a lovely 14 century Inn at Pembridge.

Very hot on the Shropshire roads and being on lanes with banks / hedges we seemed to have no breeze and the glare of the sun made it feel like we were in a long baker’s oven.

Day 6 Clun to Runcorn

Another incredibly hot and humid day. Great scenery & villages and route. Given this area was known to me I was surprised how different it felt on a bike. The riverside cycle around Shrewsbury was brilliant.

Day 7 Runcorn to Lancaster

I was rather dreading today. It was halfway at Lancaster what would we feel like with seven more days of this in front of us? Surprisingly upbeat. We were all well organised now and in the groove and camaraderie and banter was good. I thought todays ride would be difficult but navigating the urban jungle from Runcorn through Warrington to Wigan was an absolute joy. Using cycle-paths alongside rivers / canals & old railways and through the beautiful Haigh Park was surreal with occasional glimpses of the urban world around us. Then up over the moors and along the Ribble valley with views of Blackpool Tower and Heysham power station in the far distance.

Day 8 Lancaster to Penrith

Getting a little cooler now but still very warm. Stunning scenery and quite roads.

Day 9 Penrith to Moffat

Another enjoyable day. Rained as we crossed the border at Gretna.

Day 10 Moffat to Kinross via Edinburgh

Sporadic rain mainly PM

Fab riding and views especially the Tweed valley. Cycle routes through Edinburgh were very good and included the Royal Mile. Stunning to cross the Firth of Forth old road bridge. Very heavy rain and to make matters worse my Di2 battery let me down so I did the last 18 miles with one (luckily) low gear.

Day 11 Kinross to Ballater and into the Cairngorms

Another cracking day taking in Perth, Blairgowrie, The Glenshee Ski Centre & Balmoral Castle. Some very stiff climbing but the descent was awesome. Top speed of 44mph and covered 5 miles in 11minutes.

Day 12  Ballater to Inverness

The hardest cycling day I have ever had with 20% gradients over the Lecht Pass we were also contending with gale force cross/ head winds gusting 45mph. For much of the ride there was little cover / protection from the wind in the Lecht with many of us blown off the bikes. Was in the saddle 7.5 hours. Plus points the rain was only squally and the views when we had time to look were breathtaking.

Day 13 Inverness to Crask

What a difference a day make. The wind abated and the sun came out. Quite remote and very quiet roads. The Crask Inn is an old Inn with great character in the middle of nowhere and for the first time on the ride I allowed myself to partake in a couple of beers & whiskeys. Well, it would be rude not to and we were nearly there!!

Day 14 The Crask to John O'Groats

Brilliant last day, the gods were looking after us. Sunny with a tail wind nearly all the way. I managed my fastest average time of the tour.

We had finished and there was great relief but also sadness that our journey had come to and end.

After thoughts

1,032 miles (1,660 km) of road and 18,762m of climbing. What a fantastic journey. Great cycling, scenery, accommodation, camaraderie, and new friends. Great organisation and support from Peak Tours.

Would I do it again or something similar.? Most definitely it’s given me the confidence to tackle similar challenges.  We are already thinking about the “Channel to the Med”.

Can anyone do it? Yes with the right determination. Blue pace would be fine & experience of regular 50-70 mile rides would be advisable. It is possible to do it using e bikes although there weren’t any in our group but Peak Tours would be happy to accommodate.