A TEAM of bike riders have cycled over 1,500 miles for charity, smashing their target.

The 21 sponsored bikers, from Darlington, had originally named 1,000 miles and raise £1,000 for Covid affected charities but ended up riding a total of 1,523 miles over the weekend and raised more than £3,000.

The cyclists were members and friends of Darlington Rotary Club and tackled a 26.2 marathon circuit around Darlington, individually and socially distanced, but many did much more miles.

The circuit was designed so that cyclists could choose to do all, or just part of the marathon.

The youngest cyclist was eight year old Max Weaver, who rode the marathon circuit with his grandfather and grandmother, Ken and Anne Wiper, all from Darlington.

And the oldest was 75 year old Rotarian Peter Phillips from Neasham, near Darlington.

Team leader, Rotarian Nigel Little, said: “It was a fantastic effort.

“All of the riders completed a marathon circuit, but two others did 50 miles and 10 did more than 100, including Rotarian Kevin Robinson, who rode the furthest at 154 miles.

“But the most important thing is that we raised at least £3,112 which was amazingly triple our target.

“There is still more to come in, all of which will go to help local charities who have been affected by the pandemic.”

President of Darlington Rotary, Sue Campbell, thanked everyone who took part and who had donated money.

“Rotary’s fund raising activities have of course been curtailed by Covid and the limitations it places of people coming together,” she said. “So this is a brilliant result by a group of determined local cyclists, which will go towards alleviating the damage the virus has wreaked on local charities.

“The cyclists have completely smashed the target, which is a brilliant result.”

Darlington Rotary has undertaken a fund raising bike ride every year since 2013, raising more than £50,000 for local causes.

This year its planned ride to its sister Rotary in Mulheim in Germany in April was a victim of the pandemic, so was replaced by this event instead.

The cycle ride to Mulheim has therefore been postponed until next April.

Darlington Rotary has already donated more than £6,500 to local causes since the pandemic began, including amounts to St Teresa’s Hospice, the Samaritans, Age UK Darlington, Darlington Memorial Hospital, the King’s foodbank, the 500 club and Daisy Chain in Darlington and Family Help.

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million people who unite with a shared goal to take action and create change across the globe.

Ms Campbell said Darlington Rotary comprises people from all walks of life, all denominations, all ethnicities and all orientations “who are dedicated to aiding the community.”

You can still donate to the cause by going to Virgin Money Giving and searching for The Darlington Rotary Club.