91-year-old Tony Newton starts his epic 500 mile plus North of England cycle challenge

The sun shone, the sky was blue, horns blew and the crowd cheered and waved as 91-year-old Tony Newton started his epic 500 mile plus North of England cycle challenge from Heskin on Sunday May 10 2026.

The great grandad, who will be 92 in August travelled the first stage of his journey with family members including his great grandsons, Moses (13) and Beau (11). His wife Dorothy (88) and daughter Ruth (65) were also with him and will accompany him on the next stage which will see them journey to his son at Higher Plainsteads farm in Glossop, Derbyshire.  From there Tony will be on his own as he heads off across Yorkshire towards Hull.

Using a mix of roads and cycle paths Tony will cross Yorkshire reaching the coast and then heading north through Bridlington, Scarborough and Whitby up to Newcastle. Crossing back along the Hadrian’s Wall coast to coast cycleway to Carlisle he will return South through Penrith, Shap and Lancaster and finally completing the entire route through Southport and finishing back in Heskin around 23rd May. The route is 523 miles with a staggering total climb of 30,748 feet and less than two weeks.

Granddaughter, Hannah, who accompanied her grandad at the start of his journey, said: “We had a wonderful community send off on Sunday for grandad, everyone was cheering him on.  We are all so proud of his fundraising efforts so far and wish him all the best of luck for the ride ahead.”

Tony said: “Cycling through the open countryside is the thing that has kept me going throughout my lifetime.  Every year for the past 15 years I have gone on a solo trek for a week or more in addition to the special challenges. I have been cycling since I was 5 when I got my first bike to cycle to school. I hope my efforts inspire others to stay active and support the good cause which is Inspire Youth Zone, Chorley.”

Janine Blythe, CEO, Inspire Youth Zone, said: “It was incredibly special to stand alongside young people, family members and the wider community on Sunday to cheer Tony on as he began this extraordinary challenge. The atmosphere was full of pride, excitement and admiration for what he is setting out to achieve.

At 91(and 7/8’s) years old, Tony continues to show all of us what determination and resilience really look like. We are so grateful for everything he is doing for Inspire Youth Zone and for the young people we support every single day.”

She continued: “To everyone who has donated, shared his story or come out to support him, thank you. You are not just backing an incredible cyclist and human being, you are helping create brighter futures for thousands of local young people.

Tony may be cycling the miles himself, but he carries the support of an entire community and we will be with him in spirit every step of the way.”

Follow Tony’s progress on Facebook and help him reach his target of £10,000 by donating at his just giving page.

To follow him go to

Tony Newton 2026 North England 500-mile cycle challenge

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575419250296

If you would like to support Tony and help him raise funds, please visit his just giving page

https://www.justgiving.com/page/tony-newton-500-miles