Ayrshire couple Sandy and Marie Clare went the extra mile to support WaterAid, the international charity which provides access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education for some of the world’s poorest people.

They took part in the gruelling 110 km Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour in South Africa on 13th March and raised £1800 for the charity.

The big-hearted duo from Largs joined more than 30,000 other cyclists in Cape Town in taking part in the world’s largest timed cycling event.

The annual event is popular with both professional and amateur racers and attracts a host of celebrities and sportsmen. Previous participants include Lance Armstrong, actor Matt Damon and former tennis player Gabriella Sabatini.

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Sandy, who is a Director with local building services company James Frew, said: “It was such a terrible winter that we weren’t really able to train very much in advance of the event so we really had to rely on our general fitness levels and hope for the best.

“Fortunately conditions were perfect on the day with the temperatures of around 22C with a light wind. The atmosphere was fantastic with crowds lining the route and offering us encouragement all the way.

“I managed to complete the route in four hours 25 minutes while Marie came in at four hours 40 minutes.

“Although we had very stiff legs and bruised behinds the next day it was worth it as we got such a sense of achievement from taking part. I am delighted that thanks to our sponsors, families and friends we were able to raise a decent amount for the charity which does a terrific amount of good work.”

(GK)