Beat the Sun
Your Next Adventure……….
Grab your bike and join a small and select group of fundraisers as you cycle against the sun on an unforgettable 374km (233 mile) route. Amazing scenery and fantastic support- all in aid of a superb, life-changing cause.
Sunrise to Sunset. Coast to Coast. Scotland’s widest journey. This is the definitive Beat the Sun!
Are you up for this unique challenge……………..?
saturday 20.06.26 DEPart- Peterhead,Aberdeenshire: 04:09 (sunrise)
arrive- ardnamurchan lighthouse, lochaber: 22:10 (before sunset)[ About ]
Beat the Sun is one of the best cycling challenges you’ll ever take part in. Race 233 miles from dawn to dusk, aiming to reach your destination to watch the sunset with a nice cold beer.
Ride through the rolling farmland of Aberdeenshire, the glorious whisky roads of Speyside, across the majestic Central Highlands and then out beyond Glenfinnan to the rugged, isolated beauty of the West Coast.
Raise life-changing money for children and families both in Scotland and in Kenya with our partner charity GEF.
Think you could do it…….?
Entries for Beat the Sun 2026 and 2027 are open now!
Raising money for GEF
Raising money for GEF
This is no mean feat: it’s a real physical challenge that friends, colleagues and family will want to get behind…….
Our 2025 ride saw 18 cyclists raise over £19000 to help children and families in Aberdeenshire and Kenya. Come on, get on the bike and quite literally change lives!!
About the Route
Peterhead Harbour - Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
Distance: ~375 km • 233 miles
Difficulty: Very Challenging
We’re not going to lie, this is a formidable challenge but our route organiser has expertly broken it down into timed stages to help give all riders the best chance of success. And don’t forget……this is a team effort, with each riding group given experienced support throughout the day. If you a regular cyclist and have riden over 100 miles in a day before then you’re in with a chance (we recommend a bit more training than that to be sure, however!)
Peterhead - Keith
The first 60 miles are relatively flat. After leaving Peterhead we travel West across gently rolling farmland, passing through neatly ordered towns and villages. There are supported rest stops at Maud and Turriff before a 20 minute breakfast break at Tesco in Keith.
Keith - Aviemore
The scenery quickly changes as we climb over into the Spey Valley and stop for a short rest in the distinctive village of Aberlour, reknown for both shortbread and whisky. From here it is whisky galore as we climb steadily beside the majestic Spey to reach Grantown. A quick coffee stop at an artisan bakery is scheduled before riding alongside the steam railway onto the tourist town of Aviemore where a lunchtime pie is served.
Aviemore - Fort William (Corpach)
Take in the granduer of Scotland’s Central Highlands as the ride rolls South toward Kingussie and Newtonmore. After a couple of brief stops we begin to gently climb past the stunning Loch Laggan to rest at the summit beside the dam. After this we descend sharply to Spean Bridge and then travel along the North side of the river Lochy, taking in spectacular views of Ben Nevis before a refuel at Corpach.
Fort William - Arnamurchan Lighthouse
Its a flat ride out to Glenfinnan with its famous railway viaduct before the road climbs steeply to a rest point at the top of the village. We then descend along Loch Eilt and run flat beside Loch Ailort to a stop at Glenuig. The scenery very quickly takes on that unique Scottish West Coast island feel and its a pretty tough, undulating and at times remote, final 30 odd miles to Kilchoan. But there’s spectacular views of Coll, Muck, Eigg and The Cullins before the final drama as the lighthouse comes into view- which, if all goes well, will have the Sun hovering just above it!
Official Beat The Sun 2025 documentary
How do I sign up?
Things to know:
There is a non-refundable entrance fee of £110 to cover the costs of the support vehicles, food and shared accommodation (in the Kilchoan Hotel and Kilchoan Estate Bunkhouse) available to you on the day- and transport back to Aberdeen the following day. You will also receive a unique cycling top and some other momentos.
You will ride in small groups for safety and support purposes. This also encourages camaraderie and teamwork as we are riding against the sun and not each other.
You will be supported by experienced guides with a tried and tested route timetable to give you the best chance of success
You will be expected to open a Total Giving page and attempt to raise money for our charity GEF.
You must bring your own cycle and organise your own insurance.
If you cannot continue the ride through injury or fatigue you will be transported to the finish line.
Entries for June 2026 now open - you can register an interest or enter at the bottom of this page.
Enteries for June 2027 also open - you can register an interest or enter at the bottom of this page.
We’d love to have you on our next ride but don’t delay…..numbers are limited.
[ TESTIMONIALS ]
"The organisation on the weekend was faultless and made the riding so much easier. Just knowing the back-up cars were there was reassuring and took a lot of pressure off."
Paul Green, Aberdeenshire
[ FAQ ]-
This is a charity event. Your fee simply covers as many running costs as possible. The more sponsorship the event attracts, the more we can provide. The minimum you will receive is:
Transport back to Aberdeen or Peterhead on the Sunday.
A dedicated support champion and vehicle for your cycling group. This vehicle will carry all your luggage and personal food etc. It will be there at each stop.
A unique event cycling top and finisher medal.
A mid-day pie at Aviemore. (it’s an organiser tradition!)
5 x Isotonic Energy Gel with Electrolyte
Water throughout the event.
Shared hotel or bunkhouse accommodation Kilchoan on Saturday.
Post ride beer, soup and sandwiches and a full breakfast on the Sunday.
A dedicated mechanic with spares in case of mechanical failure.
You will be enrolled into Beat the Sun Strava club.
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You should prepare yourself for a tough challenge. This is a ride for people who regularly cycle. We can suggest pre-ride training routines to help you get ready. Riders will be put together in groups and follow a timetable which has regular short stops every 15-20 miles and an on-bike average of around 16.5mph. By sticking to this and supporting each other in groups, everyone has the best chance of making it.
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We’re afraid the entry fee is non-refundable. This is a charity which costs us to run. All money raised goes to directly to a cause. With a maximum of 20 riders we simply can’t afford to lose anyone. If you become injured or unable to participate for any reason in the build up do get in contact with us and we can try to find a substitute rider to go in your place. Only on the basis of a replacement rider being found will we refund.
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We’d rather you didn’t as this is a small group ride, organised at no profit to us or our partner charity. We are looking for folks to get behind or cause and would expect all (or the majority) of your fundraising to be donated to GEF.
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Beat the Sun 2026 will take place on the weekend 20/21st June 2026. The ride is completed on the Saturday but you’ll need Sunday free to travel back to Aberdeen and beyond (arrive Aberdeen area around 4pm)
Beat the Sun 2027 is scheduled to take place on the weekend 19/20th June 2027
Common Questions
[ Apply NOW ]