26th May 2020

The 20,000 Mile Hospitality Challenge

Written by: David Foad
Trade charity Hospitality Action is calling all cyclists, joggers, runners and walkers regardless of age or ability to collectively cycle, jog, run or walk 19,491 miles - the length of the entire UK coastline. The sponsorship funds raised will support UK hospitality employees who are facing ongoing financial and emotional uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fitness fanatics and newcomers are encouraged to participate in “The 20,000 Mile Hospitality Challenge” by cycling local lanes, jogging in the garden or roller-skating around the park, collecting sponsorship money as they go. The miles will be collectively clocked and logged online in an effort to light up the entire UK coastline…all in a socially distanced way! 

The challenge will start at 9am sharp on Thursday 4th June at the virtual starting point, Domaine Evremond, Champagne Taittinger’s vineyard in Kent. Participants have until 6pm on Monday 8th June to return to the vineyard’s virtual finish line having clocked up over 19,000 miles between them.  

As an incentive for taking part each participant who raises over £150 in sponsorship will automatically be entered into a Thank You Prize Draw to win one of 25 bottles of Taittinger Brut Réserve. The top fundraiser will be invited to Champagne Taittinger in Reims when we are all able to travel safely, as a personal thank you from the Taittinger family. The trip includes travel, a two night fully catered stay and a tour and tasting at the Taittinger UNESCO cellars in Reims (worth £1,250), plus a magnum of Taittinger Brut Réserve.

Like all good sporting events there’ll be a pasta supper the night before taking place on Instagram Live. Participants are also encouraged to post snaps of their route and their endeavours to share across social media tagging friends using #Clockupthemiles and @hospaction.

The 20,000 Mile Hospitality Challenge will replace Hospitality Action’s annual Tour de Cuisine Cotswold Cycle Challenge which was due to take place on June 8th and had raised in excess of £230,000 over the past 5 years.

By logging your exercise, donating to Hospitality Action and cajoling others to sponsor you and join in, you can help make a huge difference to Hospitality Action’s work. From Land’s End to John O’Groats, Belfast to the Isle of Wight and beyond, Hospitality Action supports the length and breadth of UK hospitality. The challenge has been set and every mile will count!

If you can clock up a mile or two (or 200!) to get Hospitality Action around the UK, simply follow the instructions and sign up here. All fundraising must be in accordance with government guidelines: https://bit.ly/2SWxly1