We recently told you about Phil and Matt who were about to take part in a charity Boris bike grudge match for RNIB Rushton.
At the start line
The competitors lined up underneath a gleaming Millennium Wheel in the bright
Spring morning sunshine and the start signal was given.
From the off, Matt and Phil went in different directions, Phil taking a Northern route, Matt taking a Southern one, seemingly going in the wrong direction at first - taking an off-road controversial route that you can see on YouTube.
Obstacle course or bike race?
Both Phil and Matt encountered obstacles along the way:
Phil had to climb a set of stairs with the Barclays bike over his shoulder, not to mention cycling along a cobbled street in Shadwell Thames.
Coming along Union Street, Matt literally ran into a roadblock. Roadworks had been opened up on a stretch and Matt had to take a swift diversion losing time in the process.
A race to the finish
Twenty minutes later and Matt turned the corner left onto Curlew Street, the finishing docking point.
A few seconds later, Phil came around the corner at the opposite end. Both raced to the docking station. Matt beat Phil to dock his cycle by a couple of seconds.
The hare and the tortoise
Matt thought he had won - but controversy ensued. A question was raised over whether there was a set route which Matt had deviated from in going South via Union Street.
After deliberation, a decision was made and Matt was given a 10 second time penalty by the adjudicators. Phil was declared triumphant.
Matt and Phil released a joint statement following the race:
"Regardless of the outcome of the race, we both feel like winners. We've both got up early on a Monday morning, taken a small amount of time out of our day and made a difference to a cause that works very hard to give blind and partially sighted people more chances in life. How many people can say that?
We are incredibly grateful, indeed humbled, to see the donations that have been made for this cause. We are both proud to have been part of this wonderful event."
Get involved
If you would like to donate to support this event and the wonderful work of RNIB, please visit
Matt and Phil's JustGiving page.
Or, if you and your colleagues want to take part in a fundraising event, or come up with one of your own, please visit our
fundraising and
fundraising ideas pages for inspiration.
Alternatively you can contact us at
fundraising@rnib.org.uk or on 0845 345 0054 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).