Peterborough Cycling Club pensioner’s stunning display at the National Championships

Martin Bullen at the National 12 hour Championships

Riders start riding at 5am, keep breaks to a minimum and stop riding at 5pm with final placings decided by distance travelled.

And despite wet and miserable conditions along the A11 at Attleborough, Norfolk, Bullen covered 245.2 miles at the age of 69!

This was only 4.4 miles short of the distance he rode for the club in 1979 some 42 years ago and this year’s run gave him a well-deserved second place in his age category.

Phil Jones at the National 12-hour Championships.

Martin’s mother Joan Bullen was a legend of Peterborough Cycling Club and held a number of women’s records during the 1940s and 1950s. Her distance of 215 miles in 12hrs set in 1947 still stands to this day.

Phil Jones rode 252.3 miles adding an extra 16 miles to his 2019 effort of 236 miles. He averaged over 21 mph. This gave him 38th place overall and third place in his age category.

Jones missed out narrowly on Peterborough CC’s veterans 12 hr club record by just 5 miles set in 1994 by Malcolm Church.

Peterborough City members Ritchie and Claire Parkins helped support both Bullen and Jones by passing food and drink over whilst they continued cycling to gain every advantage possible, making this a real team effort.