From Pain to Power: Sarah Ruggins' Record-Breaking Ride Across the UK

On 16 May 2025, Dr. Sarah Ruggins claimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest return trip by bicycle across the length of the United Kingdom. Covering over 2,700 km and nearly 18,000 meters of elevation, she cycled from John o’Groats to Land’s End and back — a route known as LE-JOG-LE — in just 5 days, 11 hours, and 14 minutes.

It’s an extraordinary feat by any measure, but Sarah’s journey to this moment is even more inspiring. A promising young track athlete with Olympic dreams, her life changed dramatically at age 15 when she was diagnosed with a rare and agonizing autoimmune disease. She lost the ability to walk, use her hands, or move at all — and spent years in intensive care and rehabilitation.

Against all odds, she rebuilt her life through education, earning several degrees and eventually becoming a finance professor. In 2022, she discovered cycling — and within months, was competing in some of the toughest ultra-endurance races in the world.

Now 37, Sarah set this record with a dedicated crew of eight and the support of technical apparel designed for long hours in the saddle — including pieces from GOREWEAR’s collection. Few weeks on from her record-breaking ride, we caught up with Sarah to talk mindset, gear, and what it means to push past every limit.

How do you feel about what you achieved in breaking this record?

I’m feeling enormously grateful - to my coaches, my crew, and all the dotwatchers who willed me on in May. The love and support I received on the road was one of the most humbling experiences of my life and showed me the role community plays in achieving success. There is no better feeling than doing exactly what I set out to do, even though it was harder than I ever imagined.

How have people responded to your record? Any messages or moments that stood out to you?

Two things stood out to me. First, the support from women on the road willing me on to achieve history for females in this sport. I felt I had the winds of women everywhere behind me. Second, the men who proactively backed me and helped me feel like I belonged in this male dominated sport. In particular, men on the roadside who brought their daughters out to cheer for me demonstrates that sport goes beyond genders — women can compete without qualifiers. We are not “female athletes”, but athletes that can stand on our own alongside our peers.

You work full-time as a leader at a financial institution. Would you say cycling has helped you build resilience or manage stress in your professional life?

Absolutely - sport of all kinds instills discipline, focus, and in my case, team building and leadership that carries forward into all aspects of life.

What inspired you to take on this massive challenge — cycling the entire length of the UK and back?

Two reasons: first, to show myself I am stronger than I give myself credit for, and I deserve to take up space in this arena. Second, to draw attention to our charities - The Bike Project (England) and Bikes for Refugees (Scotland), which refurbish secondhand bikes and distribute them to asylum seekers, who often face isolation and transportation poverty. We are privileged to use bicycles as a hobby, but these charities remind us they are life changing vehicles to access education, language lessons, food banks, and medical support. To date, we have raised over £20,000 for these charities thanks to everyone’s generosity.

How did you prepare for something this demanding, both physically and mentally?

By being completely honest with myself that setting big goals requires big sacrifice. Alongside my full-time job, I took on an elite-level training protocol of up to 30hrs/week with a leading cycling coach and strength coach. Every hour of my days, 7 days a week, for 6 months was scheduled. You must learn to talk to yourself as though you’re capable, and not negotiate with yourself in pursuit of the impossible.

Did your training include sleep deprivation or night riding?

I was already comfortable with night riding and enjoy it, but I did practice once a month doing sleep training. Typically, I would finish work on a Friday and do a 5 hour ride, sleep 3 hours, then do a 6 hour ride. This helped me understand how I would feel emotionally and physically. It wasn’t so much to make me better at sleep deprivation as to prepare me for resting less than 90 minutes every 24 hour period during the event.

Were there any parts of the route you were especially nervous or excited about? And what was the toughest moment — physically or mentally — that you had to push through?

Yes, I lost consciousness while riding on night 4 and went into hypoglycaemic shock. My team saved the record in this moment - I had slept less than 3 hrs at this point and it caught up with me. They gave me glucose gel, caffeine, and shone bright lights in my eyes to wake me up. They got me riding again in 90 minutes and I was able to complete 520 km in the next 24 hours. This shows the importance of surrounding yourself with those people who will get you to the finish line, even if it’s uncomfortable for them to see you in a poor state. This record belongs to them for making decisions that prioritised my wellbeing and successful completion when I was unable to.

Were there any unexpected highs during the ride? You mentioned entering a meditative state — can you tell us more about that?

I did the entire ride without music or pods. I chose instead to meditate on the 3 things I could control: my power, my cadence, and my heartrate. If it wasn’t  one of these, I considered it a distraction - including where I was versus the record. It helped me ride within my capabilities and focus on forward progression even when in pain, freezing conditions or struggling to keep my eyes open.

You had “Focus. Discipline. Gratitude.” written on your bike. What did those words mean to you during the ride?

Focus - on what I can control (power, heartrate, cadence)

Discipline - limit time off the bike and ride efficiently as possible at all times 

Gratitude - this ride is a celebration of life; be proud my body is capable, and I have a crew of people I love committed to help me making cycling history.

You had a crew of eight people supporting you - time to give them a shout out! Who were they, and how did they help make the ride possible?

Ryan - my partner and crew chief 

Pete - mechanic 

Ali - nutrition and athlete support 

Alastair - data/logistics 

Dan - navigation 

Andy - navigation 

Daisy - nutrition and athlete support 

James - photography and socials 

Sourcy film - documentarians 

We ran the crew in 2 teams of 3 that rotated every 12 hours between the follow car and an RV where they could rest, with all media in their own vehicles.

You rode for over five days with almost no breaks. How did you choose your apparel for this ride?

I was riding in aero position for 22+ hours per day, which meant we had to optimize for comfort. My apparel focused on technical layering and accessories from GOREWEAR that I could take on and off quickly. I had bib shorts and a short sleeve jersey, which I added GOREWEAR’s arm and leg sleeves to as a first resort. I then layered the new SPINSHIFT Windbreaker and SPINSHIFT GORE-TEX Jacket as conditions required, using the Progress Thermo jersey on top of the sleeves to get me through the sub-zero nights. We had 3 levels of gloves from GOREWEAR that I rotated constantly depending on conditions - from basic mitts to windproof gloves to sub-zero GORE-TEX waterproof winter gloves, all of which kept me as comfortable as possible given the challenge at hand!

Can you tell us more about how you liked our new SPINSHIFT Windbreaker in particular as you already wore its predecessor?

This became a staple item for me as we encountered conditions from +28°C to -3°C, sometimes in the same day. I used it most in the early mornings or when the air was damp and cool, as it kept the chill off my core without needing lots of extra layers. Even with just a jersey underneath, it kept me warm enough to stay in shorts instead of faffing with leg sleeves, which meant more time riding. It was light, breathable, and so easy to take on and off while riding that it quickly proved invaluable across all conditions.

What was the biggest thing you learned from the experience —about cycling and about yourself?

That the limits we place on ourselves are self-imposed.  If you learn to speak to yourself the right way, have a likeminded community around you, and are willing to sacrifice, you can surpass the limits you thought you had. And this is the greatest gift you can give yourself.

What’s next for you? Are you planning more ultra-distance rides — and what do you hope others, especially women, take away from your achievement?

I want to show that just because life doesn't always turn out the way we expect doesn't mean it's a bad life - and that the greatest gift you can give yourself and the ones who love you is the one to keep going, even if you don’t yet know where you’re headed. Practice aggressive patience in pursuit of your goals as progress comes from small improvements daily, not monumental effort.  

With this in mind I am building towards a larger project next year that will put me in more challenging conditions for longer, to hopefully redefine human endurance not just for women but for people everywhere.