To mark the end of Hospice Care Week, it was mud, sweat and gears last weekend as 1,300 intrepid cyclists came together to pit themselves against the wilds of Dartmoor for the St Luke’s Tour de Moor cycling challenge.

On Sunday, the annual off road bike challenge raised an estimated £80,000 thanks to the participants who took on the off-road 11km, 23km or 52km routes from Harrowbeer Airfield, Yelverton.

For many it wasn’t just about a fun muddy challenge across Dartmoor but a chance to remember a loved one and witness first hand how far St Luke’s care reaches beyond Plymouth. Rebecca Kelly, events fundraiser for St Luke’s, said: ‘With almost half of our care taking place at home, the bikers will have travelled through some of the most remote Dartmoor villages and experienced the challenges our nurses face every day to provide this care at home, day or night and in every type of weather imaginable. It is this care that drives people to get out of bed at 6am on a misty Sunday morning, hop on a bike and do their bit for charity.’

Tavistock rider Nick Lane said: ‘The event was run brilliantly. As a person with limited navigation skills it was great to see marshals everywhere and have it signposted well. I took part just as a challenge, to test myself on something I knew I wasn’t very good at. but to know all the money raised was going to St Luke’s Hospice was the extra boost in motivation which really helped — especially on the slog across the moors from Burrator to Princetown which felt never ending!

‘There was a great atmosphere and spirit around it, 1,300 people in the same place raising money for charity and pushing themselves. I’ll definitely be doing it again next year.’

St Luke’s expressed thanks to local firm Print Copy Scan for their sponsorship of this year’s event, as well as recognising the kindness of the Maristow Estate and Buckland Abbey for the use of their land, the Devon and Cornwall Rescue Team for their vital support and the Plume of Feathers pub for help with facilities.

St Luke’s provides care for people dealing with life-limiting illnesses everywhere from Salcombe to East Cornwall, via Tavistock and the moors, supporting families as much as patients. The charity supports around 3,500 people and their families each year, vital services which it needs to raise over £4-million to provide.