81-year-old breaks record to become oldest woman to cycle from Land's End to John o' Groats

Mavis Paterson has raised more than £50,000 for charity in memory of her three adult children who died within four years of each other

Mavis Paterson at the beginning and end of her journey (Mavis Paterson)

An 81-year-old has become the oldest woman to cycle from Land's End to John o' Groats, with the journey taking just over three weeks to complete.

Mavis Paterson, from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, completed the 960-mile ride in memory of her three adult children who died within four years of each other earlier this decade.

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Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.


Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).


I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.