THE?PETERSFIELD Ups and Downs (PUAD) charity cycle ride has been set for Sunday, July 9, with five courses for people to tackle.
Organised by Petersfield Round Table, the event will start and finish in The Square in the town centre.
All proceeds from the event will go to charities and organisations, with The Rosemary Foundation and Petersfield and Liss National Childbirth Trust (NCT) being the main beneficiaries which will be supported this year.
Up to 500 cyclists are expected to enter and they will add to the total of around £50,000 which has been raised for charities since the event started 11 years ago.
Organiser Tom North said:?“This is a well-loved event as cycling gets more popular and more relevant.
“There’s a lot of the bigger, professional events but our event encourages people who have never been out on their bike before.
“Last year we added the longer route. It’s not a race, it’s a fun and challenging route to raise money for charities and good causes.”
High Street and roads around The Square in Petersfield will be closed to traffic before and after the event and drivers are encouraged to use the free car parking at Festival Hall.
There are 50, 30 and 20 miles road routes around Petersfield and the South Downs to choose from, as well as a 20-mile off-road route and a family friendly five-mile route.
Entrants can ride for fun, help raise sponsorship for PUAD’s partner charities or raise money for their own cause.
Cyclists can register and check-in from 8am in The Square on the day. At 9am, the 50-mile course cyclists will set off. Then at 9.50am it’s the off-road riders’ turn.
At 10am the 30-mile riders head off, and then ten minutes later the 20-mile course riders start.
The five-mile family course riders will go at 10.20am.
Around 50 volunteers will be working on this year’s event, and they have been thanked by organisers for their help and making everything run smoothly.
More details on the event and how to register can be found on PUAD’s website: www.puad.co.uk People registering in advance will get a reduced price. However, registration will also be available on the day.