The Jo Cox Way: Record number of cyclists sign up for Cleckheaton to London bike ride - and in record time!

The event has taken place each year since the murder of the former MP for Batley and Spen in 2016, with next July’s event the ninth time cyclists have got together to ride the mammoth 288-mile route.

Entries only opened for next year’s ride on November 1, but 85 cyclists, of all ages and abilities, have signed up in record time to guarantee themselves a place in the popular five-day event, which sets off from Princess Mary Athletics Stadium in Cleckheaton on Wednesday, July 24 before arriving in London on Sunday, July 28, via stops in Buxton (Derbyshire), Market Bosworth (Leicestershire), Cranfield (Buckinghamshire) and

Uxbridge (Middlesex).

The ride aims to keep the former MP’s legacy alive by promoting community spirit and supporting causes that were important to her.

North Yorkshire businessman, Sarfraz Mian, who started The Jo Cox Way only a few weeks after her death, said of the quick response to the 85 places being snapped up:

“The Jo Cox Way has never been more popular. We have never had a response like this. I think it reflects not just the popularity of cycling but also that the ride is a challenge, you make friends, and it brings people from different backgrounds together. It really does embody what Jo stood for - that we have more in common than that which divides us.

“We’ll be working hard between now and July to make sure all 85 cyclists have the ride of their lives.”

Jo’s sister, Kim Leadbeater, who is now the MP for Batley and Spen, said:

“It is a wonderful five days and it’s everything Jo would have loved. Cycling has enormous physical and mental health benefits, and also helps combat loneliness and isolation - causes Jo was passionate about.

“The Jo Cox Way ride is a great chance to meet and talk to people from different backgrounds. It’s brilliant that cyclists are joining together yet again to celebrate that we have ‘far more in common than that which divides us’ – as Jo said in her maiden speech in Parliament. These riders are inspirational.”

The epic ride raises funds for The Jo Cox Foundation. Good luck to everyone involved in 2024.