SAM Evans from Marlborough has completed a gruelling two week challenge cycling the length of Britain for charity.

The 22-year-old and his cousin Alex Szerezla, 20, from Ealing, peddled 1,000 miles each from Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats in Scotland.

Together they have raised more than £10,000, which they are splitting between the military charity Help for Heroes and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Mr Evans, who has completed a degree at Birmingham University and is now going to study to be a doctor at Southampton University, began the challenge with his cousin on Thursday, August 6, and finished it on Wednesday August 19.

They were followed and cheered on all the way by Mr Evan's parents Des and Nicki Evans, who travelled alongside them in a motorhome. Other members of family also cheered them on, catching up with their journey and meeting them along the route.

The student, who is a keen sportsman and used to play for Marlborough Hockey Club, said: “We enjoyed the challenge very much. It was very tough on some of their routes, at the beginning the incline at Fowey was incredibly hard.

“We were lucky with the weather, apart from when it poured all the way to Hereford, but we made it.

“The Lake District and Scottish hills were also hard and some days were long 85 miles on some consecutive days. But we were determined to make it.”

His aunt Denise Evans added: “I am so proud of them both. It was a huge huge feat for them as travelling and studying has not allowed for too much training – so they have done fantastically well."

Donations can be made at www.bmycharity.com/alexszerezla