Kate rides with 16,000 cyclists on British Heart Foundation’s £3m Brighton run

Kate Hatcher likes company when she cycles down to the south coast—so the 30-year-old from Millwall, on the Isle of Dogs, joined 16,000 others who saddled up to ride with her on Sunday.

Kate Hatcher from Isle of Dogs completes 54-mile London-to-Brighton bikeride for British Heart Foundation. Picture: Danny Fitzpatrick - Credit: Danny Fitzpatrick/dfphotography.co.uk

Kate was one of the sponsored riders setting off from Clapham Common to raise £3 million for the British Heart Foundation, with half the cash already in the bag for charity’s research.

She has raised £200 so far, following in her father’s footsteps by taking part in Europe’s oldest annual charity bike ride now in its 43rd year. Her grandfather died of heart illness and Kate herself has high blood pressure.

“The atmosphere on the route was fantastic,” she said at the finish. “I was spurred on knowing what I raised will help make a difference to those living with heart disease.”

The 54-mile run finishing at Brighton’s seafront has raise nearly £70m over the years, pedalling 41 million miles since 1975.

Arriving on Brighton seafront... first batch of 16,000 cyclists from London raising �3m for British Heart Foundation research. Picture: John Angerson - Credit: John Angerson

The charity’s Elizabeth Tack said: “We wouldn’t be able to fund research without people like Kate. It was incredible to see Kate and 16,000 cyclists take on this challenge to help put the brakes on heart disease.”

Around 720,000 people in London alone live with heart and circulatory disease, the charity points out. The annual bike ride is part of the Heart Foundation’s calendar of 80 events helping to fund its life-saving research.