Old Cokethorpian Tom Dunlop (2024, Vanbrugh) has completed an extraordinary charity challenge, cycling to all 60 British racecourses in one continuous journey. At just nineteen, and currently on his Gap year before starting at the Royal Agricultural University, Tom set himself the ambitious goal of raising £60,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Diverse Abilities. Inspired by his family’s strong racing heritage and a desire to make a difference, Tom’s journey combined determination, resilience, and community spirit, ultimately raising over £68,000 for two causes close to his heart.
Tom’s Story:
‘My name is Tom Dunlop, 19 years old and currently on my Gap year before heading to the Royal Agricultural University in September. Some will recognise my surname, my grandfather was Champion Trainer John Dunlop, Uncle Ed trains in Newmarket, and my father trained in Lambourn. Whilst planning my year off, my mother said she didn’t mind what I did as long as it involved, at some point, some charity work. In May 2024, I visited Cartmel for the first time and thought it would be great to visit some other tracks I’d never been to. It then spiralled from there, and I came up with the idea to cycle to all 60 British racecourses in one continuous time. Little did I know how much planning would go into making this happen!
I wanted to support the Injured Jockeys Fund for a couple of reasons. My younger brother William is an amateur jockey, and I’ve seen the support he has been given, and then I saw how the IJF helped Graham Lee after his fall at Newcastle. My other charity is close to my heart. My godmother’s son is called Ollie, he is twenty-three and has Angelman’s Syndrome, a genetic disability. He is a regular attendee at one of Diverse Abilities hubs that offers a safe place for disabled people to visit, use sensory rooms, learn basic skills, play and be with their families and not be judged by others. They are hoping to build a hydrotherapy pool, which will make a huge difference.
I didn’t really have any idea of what the bike ride might be like; mainly, I was concerned about whether I’d be fit enough and how hard the self-navigation might be. Each route was plotted using a Garmin, which is similar to a Sat Nav. The Route Plotter calculated distances as well as hills, and also stopped me from accidentally going onto major A roads and motorways! Each evening was spent uploading the new route on the Garmin, checking it out and seeing where the food/drink stops needed to be and any major traffic issues. I didn’t realise how much time this would take each evening, mentally quite tiring after a day of cycling. I’m naturally fit and did about 600 miles/2 weeks of training on a borrowed road bike. I’ve always cycled, but not normally more than 20 miles in a day. Many people were amazed that I did it in trainers, not cleats. These increase your power output by up to 30% but being dyspraxic, I hadn’t trained in cleats and didn’t need the additional pressure when in towns at junctions, risking falling off if I couldn’t get the cleats undone in time. The biggest concern was making sure I didn’t get any injuries or saddle sores in the first week. Luckily, I had good quality padded shorts, a large supply of Chammy Cream to apply during the day and Sudacream for nighttime, which did the job!
We were so lucky to meet so many IJF volunteers and also beneficiaries along the route. It really helped to keep me motivated even when the weather was against me. Some of their stories were so humbling, and I really hope that my challenge will have made a difference in their lives. Seeing the charity in action out in the field was truly inspiring. One day, when travelling from Fakenham to Leicester, it was incredibly windy, the end of Storm Florin. Halfway, I had to stop as I was so fed up with being buffeted by the winds which rolled in relentlessly across the open Fens. My mother suggested I just have 10 minutes in the backup van, let the wind get out of my head and look at my phone to give my brain something else to think about. I then saw someone had made a big donation, which really helped, and I got on my bike and completed that leg. Another day, I broke both pedals on my bike in Newport when on my way to Chepstow. It was 28 degrees, and I still had 17 miles to go, and the signal on the phone/tracker had dropped out due to the Welsh valleys, so no chance of getting hold of the backup van to swap bikes. So I had no choice but just to grit my teeth and push on through, including the big hill into Chepstow! But the large crowd reception on arrival made me forget the pain, and it was an amazing way to complete that leg.
I was so lucky to see some amazing parts of Great Britain and visit all 60 racecourses, including the two at Newmarket. So many of the racecourses went out of their way to show their support, naming races Tom’s Big Bike Ride, putting adverts in the racecard, live interviews during race meetings, bringing out food and drinks to keep me sustained, including the famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding! Where we couldn’t find beds with friends or family, we stayed at the racecourses, so I’m now an expert on most of the hostel rooms! What struck me most was how proud each team was of their individual racecourse, showing me their favourite parts of the courses.
My aim was £60,000 – £1,000 per racecourse – some said that was a punchy target, but you always have to aim high! With Give Wheel, Gift Aid and Private Donations, it looks like I will be able to hand over £68,000 split between the Injured Jockeys Fund and Diverse Abilities. I am so grateful to everyone who supported every single donation, which will make a difference. Doing something you enjoy is a great way to try to raise money, and I was lucky to combine two of my favourite sports. If you have an idea, don’t wait, just do it!’
– Tom
We are incredibly proud of Tom’s remarkable achievement and the positive impact he has made. His determination and generosity exemplify the Cokethorpe spirit, and we wish him every success as he embarks on his next chapter.
