A GROUP of friends have cycled a staggering 200 miles in under 24 hours to raise funds in memory of an ex-serviceman.
The team of seven from Redditch were aiming to raise £3,000 to help towards funeral costs after the death of their friend Tristan Ashford-Smith in June.
They have now broken their target and hope to continue to raise as much as possible.
Andy Lewis and Tom Whitehead organised the ride after they saw how the loss of Tristan affected his family.
Andy said: “The money we’ve raised is to help support Tristan’s wife Lisa and his daughter Isla as they attempt to come to terms with the tragic death of their husband and father.
“We wanted to make sure they didn’t have to worry about final costs or money while they are grieving.
“Tristan was a keen cyclist himself and was planning a cross-country cycle later this year.
“We thought it was the perfect way to pay tribute to him.”
The team starting from Grimsby, where Tristan grew up, at 4 am on Saturday October 1.
They cycled down to Skegness, then to Spalding, back up to Louth and managed to arrive back in Grimsby at 2am the following day.
It took them 22 hours overall.
Andy added: “It was a very tough ride, I didn’t end up finishing it because of an ongoing knee injury.
“But the boys did Tristan and his family proud.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the amount we have raised, and any donations received are really appreciated.”
Visit gofundme.com/f/tristan-ashfordsmith to donate.
