AN OLYMPIAN is encouraging people to join the Wirral Bikeathon to smash a fundraising target of £1 million.

The Wirral Bikeathon is one of many Bloodwise Bikeathons taking place throughout the country.

This year’s event will be take place on Sunday, June 10. 

It will be the 20th Wirral Bikeathon and so far the event over the years has raised a total of £920,000.

This year the challenge is to reach the landmark sum of £1 million for Bloodwise – the new name for the charity Leukeamia and Lymphoma Research.

Online entries will open on March 1. 

The Wirral Bikeathon is a 14 or 28 mile ride around the Wirral Peninsula. 

At the 2017 event, riders, their families and friends enjoyed live music from the Peninsula Jazzmen.

Bikes and Boards of West Kirby, The Bike Shop of Moreton, and K-Cycles of Eastham continue to support us by providing free bike repair services in the park and at Dovepoint on the prom in Meols on the day of the ride.

Olympic gold medal winner Chris Boardman (above) is patron of the Wirral Bikeathon.

He said: “Come and join us, never before have we had a challenge like this one. Please be part of this success story.

“Help us reach our £1 million goal.”

The Wirral Bikeathon is not a race, so competitors can pedal at whatever pace is comfortable for them.

Riders can use any type of bicycle as long as it's road worthy – over the years there have been entrants taking part on Bromptons, tandems and even unicycles.

For more information contact 0151 327 3129 or email info@wirralbikeathon.com; to register visit http://www.wirralbikeathon.com