The Zurich Lighthouses Challenge

Words by: Sadhbh O’Shea

After the dark and cold months of winter, the spring offers us all a chance at new beginnings. Former first lady of the United States Lady Bird Johnson once said, “where flowers bloom, so does hope”. The daffodils are already at full bloom along the roadsides, while pops of colour continue to appear all around us, bringing light into our lives.

Many of us start the year with resolutions and good intentions, but it can be hard to keep them up when the sun is hiding away, and the nights seem to take up much of the day. However, the longer days and the warmer weather of spring are an opportunity for us to shake off some of the cobwebs that have lingered over the winter and set ourselves some new challenges to test ourselves.

Perhaps it’s a project that you have been putting off for weeks, or maybe it’s a new fitness target that you really want to achieve. Maybe your New Year’s resolution to go to the gym more is beginning to suffer, and you need a new goal to help get you back on track. As spring blooms around us, now is the time to take on something new.

The Zurich Lighthouses Challenge on 2 July could be that big goal for you. With its three different courses of varying distances, there is something for everyone and you can set the challenge that best suits you. Thanks to the amazing support of the Castletown Commissioners, all three of this year’s routes will start in the island’s ancient capital in front of the picturesque Castle Rushen.

Are you looking for something big? Then why not go the whole hog and try the Full Circle route that covers 100 miles of the Isle of Man’s roads. There will be stunning scenery on show as you travel clockwise around the island, taking in tough climbs to Cregneash and up the Sloc, as well as some flatter terrain on the way to the Point of Ayre.

If 100 miles sounds like a stretch too far, then don’t worry there are shorter routes that will still challenge any rider. As the name may indicate, the Half Circle is around half the distance of the full route. At 51 miles, it covers much of the southern part of the island and the tricky climbs that come with it. Once at Peel, riders taking this course will turn east and head towards Douglas before returning south to Castletown.

The Quarter Circle powered by Dot Performance is a more bite-sized challenge that is suitable for new riders, families, and those looking for something a little more leisurely. It’s 17 miles long and takes riders west to Port Erin, before looping around and finishing in Castletown Square where it began.

Your entry fee will include a whole host of added support, including a fully signposted route, feed zones, motorcycle assistance, help to get you back to Castletown if you’re unable to finish, and a massage at the finish. There’s also an event t-shirt, a finisher’s medal, electronic timing, and entry into the charity raffle.

With just under three months until the event, there’s still time to make the most of the improving weather and get riding. You can do it in your own way, from using the gym’s bike equipment, utilising a home trainer, or getting out on the road.

Just as there is no one way to prepare for the Zurich Lighthouses Challenge, there is no one way to do it. You can do it in Lycra on a high-end bike, but you don’t have to. Feel free to turn up on your 20-year-old bike in clothes that you find comfortable riding in. Want to do it on a tandem? Go for it. Would you love to test out your new e-bike? We’d love to have you.

Do you want to ride it with a team of friends rather than on your own? You can sign up to the Full Circle as a team of four and do it as a relay. They say that a problem shared is a problem halved, well this time it’s quartered. The event is not about beating anyone or setting a fastest time, it is about setting your own challenge and your own goal and achieving it in the way that suits you.

We just want to get more people on bikes, no matter how they do it. Riding can help you gain muscle and improve your fitness, but it is about more than that. Studies show that riding a bike can be good for your mental health, ease stress and anxiety, and help your self-esteem.

Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Deignan has spoken about the way riding her bike has helped her. “I needed it for my mental health,” she said of cycling in a recent interview for the CyclingTips website.

This year, the Zurich Lighthouses Challenge has partnered with Manx mental health charity Isle Listen. Money raised by the event will be donated to Isle Listen to help them in their mission to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and ensure that all islanders can feel emotionally empowered and supported with their own mental health. Does all of this sound enticing to you? You can find out more at Lighthouseschallenge. im. For help in getting to the Isle of Man and finding somewhere to stay, the Isle of Man Steam Packet can cater to your needs.

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