A chemistry teacher has proved he’s made of ferrous material after beating 134 cyclists from around the country in a tough 2,000km endurance race – and scooping the second placed rider by an amazing eight hours.


Incredibly, that’s not all he achieved this summer.
Not only did Angus Young, who teaches at Bryanston, win the ultra-endurance 2,000km Pan Celtic Cycling Race in an impressive time of 5 days, 3 hours 56 minutes and 25 seconds – he also broke the record for the 3 Peaks by Bike… by an incredible five hours.

The 2021 Pan Celtic Cycling Race began at the Rame Peninsula in Cornwall, with 134 cyclists from around the UK and Ireland following a challenging route through the Celtic areas of south west England and Wales before reaching the finish line in Llandudno in north Wales. This is the second time the event has been held following its introduction in 2019, and experienced riders typically take a week to complete the “brutal” 2,000km route.

Angus’s time cut the previous best time for the race by nearly one and a half days and organisers commented on his “unbelievable pace and superhuman effort” as he completed the challenge almost 8 hours ahead of his nearest competitor.

Just a few weeks before, during Summer half-term, Angus climbed to the summits and cycled between the UK’s three highest mountains, completing the iconic and arduous 3 Peaks by Bike course in an unofficial record time of 32 hours and 11 minutes.

“Angus is certainly leading by example and is an inspiration for everyone,” says Bryanston headmaster Mark Mortimer. “Aside from his clear passion for chemistry, his mental strength and ability to excel at even the most arduous physical challenge is quite remarkable, and he is showing all of us what can be achieved through determination, unwavering focus and intensive training. His latest achievements are, quite simply, phenomenal – not least as they have been undertaken in such quick succession and with such impressive timings.”

He said: “The enormity of all of the planning, training and completion of the course is only just beginning to sink in. It was all about the importance of having a personal goal to motivate and drive myself through the restrictions of such a period of uncertainty. Completing the course in record time was a bonus, but that wasn’t the main objective.”

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