Owain will be undertaking the greatest distance ever covered in a Radio 2 fundraising challenge
Owain Wyn Evans will embark on an extraordinary challenge this November(Image: John Myers)
BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans will embark on an extraordinary challenge this November for charity. It was revealed on the Sara Cox Breakfast Show on Friday, September 25, that the Welshman will be cycling through all four UK nations in support of BBC Children in Need.
Owain will be undertaking the greatest distance ever covered in a Radio 2 fundraising challenge as he will be covering nearly 400 miles through Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, and his homeland of Wales.
This marks Owain’s second challenge for BBC Children in Need. In his former role as a BBC weather presenter, and following a viral video of him drumming to the BBC News theme tune, Owain participated in BBC Breakfast’s Drumathon in 2021, drumming for 24 hours and raising in excess of £3.8m for Children in Need. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
He will be starting his five-day cycling challenge in Glasgow on Monday, November 9, before reaching the finish line in Cardiff city centre on Friday, November 13, just in time for Children in Need’s BBC broadcast.
Owain said: “When I said yes to this challenge I knew it would push me well outside my comfort zone. It’s going to be tough, demanding, and probably a little daunting at times but I’m ready to give it absolutely everything I’ve got.
“Sara, Paddy [McGuiness], and Vernon [Kay] have achieved some truly extraordinary things for BBC Children in Need over the years so I’ve got a lot to live up to. Hopefully I’ll have the incredible support of Radio 2 listeners behind me from start to finish.
“Together we can make a real difference for children and young people across the UK, helping to make sure they have someone by their side when they need it the most.”
Listeners will be able to follow Owain’s progress on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds throughout the wee.
A BBC TV crew will also accompany Owain on his journey documenting his experience for a BBC One film, which is set to air in November.
Owain’s challenge comes in the wake of Sara Cox’s Great Northern Marathon Challenge in 2025, during which she ran, jogged, and walked from Kielder Forest in Northumberland to Pudsey in Leeds, raising a remarkable £11.7m for BBC Children in Need. Sara completed the challenge while carrying a very special Pudsey backpack, which she will now hand over to Owain. You can read more here.
Sara said: “I want to wish Owain oodles of love and luck for his 4 Nations Cycle Challenge for BBC Children in Need. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that I know he’ll remember and cherish forever.
“It meant the world to me that millions of our brilliant Radio 2 listeners were supporting me last year and I know they’ll all be rooting for Owain as he pushes up every hill and pedals mile after gruelling mile for BBC Children in Need.”
Before Sara’s challenge, Paddy McGuinness tackled a gruelling 300-mile Ultra Endurance Cycle Challenge in 2024, riding across three nations on a classic Chopper bike, while Vernon Kay undertook his Ultra Ultramarathon Challenge, making the journey on foot from Leicester’s Victoria Park to Bolton Wanderers’ Toughsheet Community Stadium, in 2023.
