Cleckheaton to London: Eighth Jo Cox Way event to see over 80 cyclists make the 280 mile trip to the capital

Now into its eighth year, the Jo Cox Way ride aims to keep the former Batley and Spen’s MP legacy alive by bringing communities together and supporting causes that were important to her.

In total, 81 cyclists of all ages and abilities, from all over England and Wales, will set off on Wednesday, July 26 from the Princess Mary Stadium in Cleckheaton, and are due to arrive in London on Sunday, July 30.

32 women, aged from their 20s to their 70s, will be taking part this year - the largest number of women to tackle the route. In the UK, three times more men than women are members of cycling clubs, and twice as many men cycle each week compared to women.

Kim Leadbeater MP, who was elected to represent her sister’s old constituency in 2021 and has been involved in every Jo Cox Way ride, is delighted that so many women are getting on their bikes this year.

“Cycling has enormous physical and mental health benefits, and also helps combat loneliness and isolation, causes Jo was passionate about,” she said. “It isn’t just for middle-aged men in Lycra, it’s for everyone!

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

The Jo Cox Way was started in 2016 by North Yorkshire businessman and keen cyclist Sarfraz Mian BEM, just a few weeks after her murder.

He said: “Riders form lasting friendships with people of different ages, from all sorts of backgrounds. The ride is a big challenge but there’s real warmth. Nearly half our cyclists will be making the long journey for the first time and I know our returning riders will help them along.

“As you’d expect from a ride which starts in Yorkshire, it also offers exceptional quality and value. We’re delighted it sold out in record time this year.

“I never met Jo, but her determination to create a fairer, kinder world for all really touched me in 2016 and is now more relevant than ever.”

Nearly half of this year’s cyclists have never ridden the route to London before, including Ahmed Patel, 32, from Batley.

“Jo Cox’s idea that we have more in common than what divides us is very true,” he said. “I’ve recently been teaching religious studies and I find that we have a lot in common across the different faiths.

“I think sometimes we get carried away with what separates us. When we look at what we have in common it brings us together.”

The Jo Cox Way raises funds for The Jo Cox Foundation. Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting: www.justgiving.com/campaign/jocoxway2023

People can also take part virtually by pledging miles, using this link: www.thejocoxway.org.uk/pledge