Former England rugby captain Lewis Moody commenced a 500-mile bike ride from the Newcastle Red Bulls stadium on Sunday, June 14, 2026, to raise awareness for Motor Neurone Disease after disclosing his own diagnosis.
The campaign proceeds alongside a separate marathon fundraiser by student Will Begy for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.
Ride Details and Route
The 48-year-old former athlete is riding alongside friends, family, and over a dozen rugby players toward Rugby HQ in Twickenham.
The journey honors former Red Bulls player George "Doddie" Weir, who died from the degenerative neurological condition in 2022.
The Lewis Moody XV Challenge scheduled stops in Durham and Ripon Rugby Club during its opening phase.
The cycling team will visit five of Moody's former clubs, including Bath and the Leicester Tigers, before concluding the route on Thursday.
Moody's Message
"It's not a pleasant diagnosis, but you have to approach these things with a positive mindset," said Moody, according to the BBC.
The former captain emphasized that the community presence at the starting location provided significant momentum for the physical task ahead.
"Having the energy of people in Newcastle, all my former team mates, crew, I am just genuinely excited to get into it [the challenge]," said Moody, according to the BBC.
The event drew participation from Weir's family alongside local community members who are navigating similar medical diagnoses.
"Doddie would be so proud that we are all back here and still trying to find that cure for MND," said Kathy Weir, according to the BBC.
James Campbell, a Newcastle resident who also lives with the condition, attended the stadium departure to witness the team leave.
"I wanted to support the racers heading off... I think it's tremendous of him to put himself through this.
It's incredible," said Campbell, according to the BBC.
Student Marathon Fundraiser
The physical and logistical demands of the multi-day route require collaborative support across the entire cycling entourage.
"It feels really odd now not to be running. I sort of miss it," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The 21-year-old university student completed five marathons in five days followed by a final half-marathon ending at Bath Rugby Club on Saturday.
Inspired by Moody's diagnosis, Begy accumulated nearly £12,000 for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation during his trek from Welford Road.
"It was quite a big jump to go from nothing to the extreme," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The student navigated route difficulties on the initial day of his journey before altering his navigation strategy.
"I ended up running through a couple of fields, I got chased by a cow and ended up in a swamp, so day one was tough, but mainly down to my poorly-planned route," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
Subsequent stages introduced steep inclines and isolated forest tracks before the final descent into Bath.
"On day four, I had a lot of mental toil about halfway through because there was a long mundane track through a forest," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The concluding 15-kilometer stretch caused physical strain prior to his arrival at the stadium welcome line.
"On the final day, the last 15km into Bath was nearly all downhill which sounds nice in theory but was agony on my knees!"
said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
Begy noted that interactions with spectators at the finish line highlighted contrasting levels of public understanding regarding the condition.
"It was really emotional," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
Discussions with attendees reinforced the underlying purpose of the endurance fundraiser within the broader athletic community.
"There were quite a few people who came up to me to tell me of experiences with MND in their family and thanked me for what I'd done," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
Public inquiries regarding the disease highlighted ongoing gaps in general awareness outside specific sporting circles.
"But the amount of people who asked me what MND was baffling. It’s so predominantly known in the rugby community, especially at Leicester," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The feedback received at the ground confirmed the necessity of continuing public informational campaigns.
"It reinforced to me why I did the run and why people need to be made much more aware," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The collective fundraising initiatives maintain their focus on securing resources to advance clinical research efforts.
"A lot of the challenge was more mentally tough than physical," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The daily physical repetition presented consecutive mental challenges each morning before the muscles adjusted to the movement.
"The first step each morning was agony, but after 20 minutes or so everything loosened up again," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
The sequential nature of the marathons created a specific psychological routine that lasted until the final destination.
"The end of each day was a bit anti-climactic because I knew in my head I had to get up the next morning and do it all over again, so Saturday was a massive relief to think ‘now I’m done’," said Begy, according to LincsOnline.
