Bikers with Highlands and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) bid for Guinness World Record – Mark Robinson and Thomas Carroll together with other representatives from blood bike groups across the UK aim to set the UK’s longest blood bike relay
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Two volunteer riders with Highlands and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) are gearing up to attempt a Guinness World Record.
Mark Robinson and Thomas Carroll will meet with other representatives from blood bike groups across the UK in a bid to set the UK’s longest blood bike relay.
The attempt will be staged from June 2-4.
The north duo will be carrying a charter, the Highland Hand of Friendship, to commemorate the work of blood bike groups throughout the pandemic which is done for the NHS free of charge.
The charter will be signed by a member of each group across the UK. Each group will get a copy.
Throughout the pandemic, HAIBB have covered more than 307,000 miles.
The group only began at the start of lockdown, so were faced with immediate pressure from the start, which they described as their “normal”.
The charter challenge day starts at 4am at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness on June 2 and the group will head to Bedfordshire.
The Highland riders will meet representatives from other groups, part of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes (NABB) at hospitals near to motorways or trunk roads along the route, as the normal practice of doing handovers takes place typically at these points.
They hope to meet multiple groups of riders and create a spectacle to generate public interest.
On day two, they begin at Colchester Kawasaki, which has offered to make the riders breakfast.
They will then head further south and on to Bristol.
The final day will see the HAIBB pair head up the M5 and M6 to return to Inverness on the Saturday night for approximately 7pm.
HAIBB chairman Mark McGinty said: “We wish Mark and Thomas the very best of luck in what will be a very memorable event that will bring the UK groups together, raise our public profile and may even create a new world record.”
