Double crash survivor to take part in the UKs biggest 12-hour motorcycle endurance race

The long-haul off-road motorcycle race known as Dawn to Dusk, taking place in August 2024, is an endurance race that sees competitors ride through challenging terrain over a 16-mile course. The various race categories consist of 6-, 12-, and 24-hour races, with a variety of classes.

Gareth, who founded Woodcote Events Ltd, a specialist automotive events agency, based in Long Clawson, has had his fair share of setbacks. Having had two serious motorcycle accidents, in 2019 and 2022, that resulted in life-changing injuries, Gareth thought it was about time to take his rehabilitation to another level.

“I’ve had limited movement in various parts of my body since my accidents. Now that I am heading into the later stages of my forties, I’m now overweight and have two children both under the age of sixteen that I want to get fit for, so I have concluded that it is about time I did something about this.

I’ve had my GasGas EC 300 for a couple of years and have hardly ridden it due to the apprehension I’ve had about riding since my accidents. Off-roading is a new discipline for me and, having been out on the bike a handful of times, I am itching to improve my riding skills and make it a regular activity. I love it, but my body has been restricted for several years now.”

The driving force behind Gareth’s decision to take part in the 12-hour class, ironically for him, known as “The Daddy”, was spending time with his good friends and work associates, Nick Plumb and Virgil Stevenson, on a recent Woodcote Events job for Royal Enfield.

Nick runs the Dawn to Dusk event and has a colourful past when it comes to off-roading, having taken part in the Paris Dakar four times, and being the youngest Briton to complete the course. His off-roading stories and inspiration planted the seed in Gareth’s mind.

Virgil is also no stranger to motorcycle racing, being an ex-multiple club superbike and Superstock Championship road racing winner, spanning 22 years. He also spent 20 years as an elite instructor for the Ron Haslam Race School. Virgil will be joining Gareth as his teammate in Dawn to Dusk, making them a 2-man team to take on the challenge.

“I’m really excited about training with Gareth for this event. With his past physical restrictions, it’s a big deal for him and, as a fellow 40-something, it’ll be challenging for me too. However, I am an experienced off-road rider and have taken part in various endurance races with top 5 finishes, so Gareth will be in very safe hands with me.”

The moment that sealed the deal for Gareth was watching Steve Ireland’s video who, in 2018, completed the 24-hour race on his own, to raise money for his friend Stever Mercer who was supposed to race with him until he had an accident at the Isle of Man TT. Steve went on to win the race, beating 2-, 3- and 4-man teams, and raised £8,000 for Steve Mercer.

“I’m not necessarily in it to win it, although that would be nice!”, says Gareth, “I’m more in it to push myself and my bike to the limit, with support from Virgil. The taking part is what matters, plus the journey I will be taking to get race-fit”.