Friends to cycle over 100 miles in Lord of the Rings fancy dress in memory of Hartlepool man

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A group of friends will reunite and cycle from coast to coast to remember a close friend from Hartlepool.

The fellowship of around 16 friends will come together for a tough 100-mile trek at the weekend, as they attempt to cycle from Lancaster to Hartlepool in 48 hours.

To make the already hilly route extra challenging, the group is also planning to wear Lord of the Rings fancy dress along the way.

It is all in memory of Lewis Boyd-Hill, from Hartlepool, who tragically took his own life back in 2021.

The fellowship of friends completed a Three Peaks Challenge dressed as Lord of the Rings characters last year.

Secondary school history teacher Lewis was a huge fan of JRR Tolkien’s stories and loved being outdoors.

Daniel Oram, 30, who was a close friend to Lewis, has said the group aren’t experienced bikers, but some have already gone the extra mile in order to take part – with 29-year-old James Snowdon from Hartlepool even taking lessons.

"We’re not experienced bikers or fit by any stretch of the imagination,” said health safety advisor Daniel.

"It’s a very hilly path. This is not the usual coast to coast, it’s going through a very hilly part of the Dale, so it will be a challenge.

Lewis Boyd-Hill, front row left, was Daniel Oram's best man at his wedding in 2019.

"One of our friends, James, has just learned to ride a bike a few months ago. He took lessons how to ride a bike because he wanted to come on the coast to coast.”

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They will set off from Lancaster, where Lewis went to university, on July 29, and make their way to his hometown of Hartlepool.

The group is also planning to stop at Leyburn, where Lewis’s family used to go on holiday and have planted a tree.

The aim is to raise funds for the Pieman PT Foundation, which was founded by Lewis’s family to help people with their mental health.

Daniel has said the journey will be emotional, but also “very fulfilling”.

“In life and in death, Lewis brings us together,” he said.

"I think it’s good for a group of friends to remember him and come together, because we live in different parts of the country now.”

It’s the second time the friends have attempted a charity trek in Lewis’s memory, after climbing the highest mountains in England last July.

To donate, visit GoFundMe and search for Coast 2 Coast for the Pieman PT Foundation.