'I was in a very dark place at 4am' - cyclist climbs hill 251 times to complete gruelling ultra-Everesting

How well do you know your local climb? Pretty well, you might say, but not as well as Paul Clark knows his, having cycled up it 251 times last weekend.

Clark, who is in his mid-fifties, rode for 27 hours up and down the steep Stock Hill in the London Borough of Bromley, climbing over 12,000m in total – more than 3,000m above the height of Mount Everest.

In doing so, he raised over £27,000 for charity, in support of The Chartwell Cancer Trust’s plans for a new information centre at a hospital in Farnborough.

The “toughest point” of the ride, Clark said afterwards, came when through the night, after completing an Everesting.

“I seriously didn’t know if I’d be able to continue,” he said. “I was in a very dark place at 4am Sunday morning, but there was no going back and after a 45-minute rest, I cracked on.”

Having set out at 9am on Saturday morning, and trudged through 30-degree heat, the Biggin Hill resident completed his ride at midday on Sunday. He was greeted on his final ascent with a finish line banner, surrounded by a cheering crowd, who had gathered at the summit.

“The support I had spurred me on over the finish line,” Clark said, adding that he was “truly humbled” by all the donations.

“I have supported The Chartwell Cancer Trust and the wonderful work they do for many years, because cancer patients and their families deserve the best support possible and this unit will provide vital information and guidance during some of the toughest times in their lives.

“I’d like to thank my family, friends, spectators, well-wishers, bucket collectors and everyone who came out to cheer me on and donate. Through my JustGiving page and the generosity of people putting their hands in their pockets, my fundraising total now has surpassed my target, which is mind-blowing.”

Clark took on a similar challenge five years ago, that time managing 234 reps of the same hill in 24 hours. He dubbed his latest attempt ‘Midsummer Madness’, and initially hoped to do 300 reps, ultimately settling on a new record of 251.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Clark resoundingly holds the Strava title of the climb’s ‘local legend’ – a laurel wreath awarded to the user who has completed a certain segment the most times in a 90-day period. The segment for Stock Hill is 0.37km long with an average gradient of 12.4%.

Following Clark's challenge, Michael Douglas, founder of the Chartwell Cancer Trust, called the cyclist “an inspiration to us all”.

“This challenge is beyond the reach of most super athletes and we are both proud and most grateful to have his amazing support,” Douglas said.