Mark Beaumont, Jenny Graham, and Hamish Graham

Yorkshire duo to tackle 750-mile charity bike ride for MND

Yorkshire duo Martin Mansell, CEO of EnjoyTravel.com, and Hamish Graham, will join ‘My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’ ambassadors Mark Beaumont and Rob Wainwright for a 750-mile, four-day bike ride from Melrose to Dublin. The charity cycle challenge will take place from Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 March 2026 and will raise money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research. 

The first day sees riders crossing Yorkshire, ending at Headingley Stadium, where local rugby legend Eorl Crabtree will welcome cyclists at the end of the day. On day two, the team will head west through the hills of Kirklees – skirting the edge of   Martin’s home village of Skelmanthorpe and passing the iconic Emley Moor mast, before dropping down through Shelley and stopping at local restaurant KIN to fuel the 300-plus total riders with refreshments. From there, they continue through Holmfirth and tackle the climb over Holme Moss, winding through the scenic landscape of the Peak District on their way toward Dublin.

Joining the Yorkshire Beast duo on the Melrose to Dublin ride are charity ambassador Rob Wainwright, record-breaking cyclist Mark Beaumont, and fellow riders Gordon D’Arcy, OJ Borg and Iwan Tukalo, where they will take on the 750-mile challenge in support of MND research.

Martin Mansell, CEO of EnjoyTravel.com, said: “I’m incredibly proud to be taking part in the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Melrose to Dublin ride in support of MND research. It means a great deal that the route passes through the full length of Yorkshire, including near my home village of Skelmanthorpe as well as stopping in Leeds where I am from, where we’ll be backed by friends, family and the wider community as we ride for such an important cause.

“This challenge is a key part of our preparation for the Yorkshire Beast challenge in July, and while four days and 750 miles will be tough, knowing the ride is helping to fund vital MND research gives us real motivation throughout the tough moments.

“I’m excited to continue our fundraising with our challenge this summer as we push ourselves further than ever before. Riding hundreds of miles every day under such extreme conditions will be a test of our strength but doing it for such a great cause makes every testing moment worth it.”

The Melrose-to-Dublin charity challenge forms part of the build-up to the team’s epic July 2026 Yorkshire Beast challenge – an ambitious 6,000km ride from Nordkapp, the northernmost point of mainland Europe, all the way down to Tarifa, Spain, its southernmost tip.

Building on the success of previous Yorkshire Beast challenges – including a seven-day, 1,100-mile ride from Leeds to Nice that raised £55,000 last year – Martin and his team will take on their biggest challenge yet, cycling 220 miles a day to raise £100,000 for charity.

Joining Martin and Hamish are world-class endurance cyclists Mark Beaumont and Jenny Graham, both world-record breakers, bringing extensive global racing and expedition experience. Funds raised will be split between two charities:

  • My Name’5 Doddie Foundation: Funding crucial research into MND and supporting families affected by the disease.
  • Yorkshire Children’s Charity: Supporting children in the region living with disability or hardship by providing essential resources to families in crisis.

How to Support

  • From the Arctic to the Mediterranean, the Race Europe team will document every mile on Instagram at @race_europe

 

6 February 2026 / Chamber Marketing