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Cycling Weekly has opened voting for its new Inspirational Rider award, inviting readers to choose among six riders featured by the magazine during 2026. The nominees include fundraisers, record-setters and riders whose achievements span ages and disciplines; the winner is due to be announced in the magazine’s 3 December issue.
Cycling Weekly has opened a reader vote for its new Inspirational Rider award, asking readers to choose among six people whose cycling stories it covered during 2026. The nominees include fundraisers, record-setters and riders ranging from an 83-year-old crossing Britain to a couple who cycled around the world; the magazine says the winner will be announced in its 3 December issue.
The magazine says the award recognizes riders whose stories may encourage others to get on a bike. Its nominees are Gerard McCarten, Dr Sarah Ruggins, Walter Fowler, Amy and Kyle Hudson, Peggy Keenor-Crome and Bob Munroe. Readers are invited to read the riders’ stories and cast a vote in the poll.
McCarten, 87, rode up and down a 70-metre street in Whitehaven, Cumbria, to match the reported elevation of Olympus Mons. He completed 3,915 climbs over 40 days, covering 658 kilometres and raising £1,400 for two local charities, according to Cycling Weekly. The magazine reports that he began the challenge five weeks after his wife died.
Ruggins rode from Tarifa in southern Spain to Nordkapp in Norway in 13 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes, beating the prior record by three days and 32 minutes, the report says. The magazine also identifies her as having set a women’s seven-day distance record. Fowler, 92, won the 500-metre time trial in the 90–94 category at the UCI Masters Track World Championships in London. Cycling Weekly notes he was the only rider in that age category competing in the event.
Amy and Kyle Hudson completed a self-supported 18,100-mile ride around the world in 123 days, 27 days faster than their own plan and 83 days faster than the previous record cited by the magazine. Keenor-Crome, 83, rode from John O’Groats to Cornwall in 17 days; the report describes her as the oldest woman to complete the route and says she was raising money for Devon Air Ambulance. Munroe, a multiple myeloma survivor, rode all 21 stages of the 2026 Tour de France route ahead of the professional race and had raised more than £72,000 at the time of the report.
Six Stories, From Fundraising to Records
The award turns a set of individual rides into a reader-selected recognition of different reasons people cycle. The nominees’ stories cover personal challenges, charity fundraising, endurance and competition, rather than a single discipline or age group. That range may help readers see the award as a celebration of participation and achievement as well as formal sporting results.
Several of the rides also had a direct fundraising purpose. McCarten’s challenge raised money for two local charities, Keenor-Crome was supporting Devon Air Ambulance, and Munroe’s Tour 21 ride had raised more than £72,000 for Cure Leukaemia, according to Cycling Weekly. The vote gives readers a way to recognize those efforts, though the magazine has not described the award as a measure of fundraising totals or sporting performance.
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How the Award Was Set Up
Cycling Weekly says it covered the nominated riders’ stories during 2026, while noting that some of the challenges were completed in 2025. The new award follows the magazine’s coverage of a range of riders, including people taking on fundraising rides and record attempts. The source article directs readers to fuller accounts of each nominee and then to the poll.
The six entries do not represent identical achievements. Some are described as world records or record-setting performances, while others focus on a charity challenge or a personal account. The magazine’s poll asks readers to choose the award winner; it does not say that all claims have been independently verified by the award process.
“To me, this record proves that women can compete alongside men at the elite level – and I hope it’s a powerful statement to every woman who wants to try.”
— Dr Sarah Ruggins, as quoted by Cycling Weekly
Poll Details and Record Verification
The source report does not specify when voting closes, how the poll handles ties, or whether each reader may vote more than once. It also does not give a live vote count or say how the magazine will determine the final result beyond inviting readers to vote.
The article presents the record details and fundraising totals as reported for each rider, but does not describe an independent verification process for the award. Some descriptions are qualified: for example, Keenor-Crome’s ride is described as the fastest known time for a woman in her 80s. The reported totals may also change after publication, particularly Munroe’s fundraising figure.
Readers Vote Before December Issue
Readers can consult the nominees’ stories and cast a vote in Cycling Weekly’s poll. The magazine says it will announce the winner in its 3 December issue. The source material does not state a separate online announcement date or provide further details about the award ceremony or selection process.
Key Questions
Who is nominated for the Inspirational Rider award?
The six nominees are Gerard McCarten, Dr Sarah Ruggins, Walter Fowler, Amy and Kyle Hudson, Peggy Keenor-Crome and Bob Munroe.
How can readers vote?
Cycling Weekly’s report directs readers to read the nominees’ stories and vote in its poll. The source does not specify voting limits or the closing date.
When will the winner be announced?
Cycling Weekly says the winner will be announced in its 3 December issue. The report does not give a separate date for an online announcement.
What kinds of achievements are represented?
The nominees’ stories include charity fundraising, endurance rides, age-category competition and record attempts, including a ride around the world and a journey the length of Europe.
Are all the achievements from 2026?
Cycling Weekly says it covered all the riders during 2026, but notes that some of their challenges were completed in 2025.
Source: cyclingweekly.com
