We did it!

Yep we did it!  The last few weeks of been an absolute Whirlwind and without doubt some of the toughest but amazing times of my life.  You certainly find out who your friends are when you take on something like this, and I have without doubt made some friends for life during this process.

There are huge amounts of people to thank, which the below press release about achieving the record does, so to everyone who has had any involvement in anyway thank you!

Paul Oughton is the new World Record holder of the “Greatest Distance recorded on a motocross bike in 24 hours” after completing a massive 191 laps and 565.742 km to topple the former record by American Perry Prichard which stood at 426.96km

In Paul's own words the attempt was a “roller coaster of emotions” as he battled mental and physical fatigue to achieve the record in just over 14 hours.

The pace started strong with 11 laps an hour being notched up before slowing down to 10 from hour 4 onwards to 8 during the pitch black of the night. Paul and the team opted for shorter ride sessions of 50-55  minutes before each break to help keep him hydrated, fresh and focused.

The track at Rogershill Raceway nr Bere Regis, held up well to the continuous barrage of Paul's laps and his Honda CRF250 Motocross bike, sponsored by the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre, needed not one spanner turned on it throughout the attempt.

During his riding Paul was joined by a number of riders including motocross legend and 3 times World Champion Dave Thorpe, 4 Times British Motocross Champion Stephen Sword, Quad stunt ace the Kangaroo Kid, amongst others including his 13 year old nephew Callum Gordon and friends from his motorcycling past.

The Tuesday evening also saw a good attendance of spectators and well wishers with them being treated to a private show from Bike Trials wizard Nick Manning, and the Kangaroo Kid, along with the Air 107.2 guys doing interviews with Paul during his breaks over the PA system.

“This is by far the hardest but one of the best things I have ever done. I had a schedule in mind that I wanted to achieve and I focused on that hour by hour and it really worked well. We had some extra auxiliary lights, but we had issues with them so we had to make do with the headlight on the bike and a £1 helmet lamp taped to my crash helmet so that slowed me down quite a bit and made the darkness hours really hard and mentally draining. The hours leading up to the point we broke the record were the longest in my life. I am so proud to have achieved this, but the most enjoyable thing out about it all was the support from my pit crew who were amazing. There was such a good atmosphere when I came in for my stops and everyone kept me focused and motivated but we also had a lot of fun as well” said Paul of his epic 24 hour battle.

Paul also went on to pay tribute to his family and friends “My family have been tremendous, right from the word go when I said I would be going for this they have supported me. My Dad has had a relentless schedule of bike prep to do and has been there every step of the way with my Mum. One of my main motivations in doing this was to be an inspiration to mt little son Cian, and to have him and my amazing wife Siobhan there when I finished was a dream come true”.

When Paul was asked how he felt to be a World record holder he found it a struggle to put it into words “it's so hard to say what I am feeling right now, I am going through so many emotions as we have worked so hard for this over the last 18 months or so with the last 35 weeks being full on training, so to have finished it all and broken the record is just overwhelming. My final lap was so emotional I don't normally get like that but I was welling up inside my helmet”.

Not only did Paul manage to achieve a magnificent feat but he was also doing it for charity by raising money for the Weldmar Hopsice in Dorchester and the Wings for Life Spinal Chord Research Foundation, the total amount raised has not been worked out as yet but a good final amount has been predicted.

Paul has always been quick to thank those who helped and supported him throughout his epic journey “there are so many people to thank so here goes and I hope I haven't forgotten anyone...

Firstly my Family, Mum, Dad, My Wife Siobhan, Baby Cian, the Murphy and Gordon families for believing in me from the start.

Dave & Ryan Thorpe, Stephen Sword and Molly from the Honda Off Road Centre for the faultless bikes and training.

We also have the 24 Hour warriors who were there for me all day, night and beyond; Gary at Duck Smart & Mark from Rapid Moto Distribution who got everything setup on the day, Carl Long from Hedcamz for the onboard footage and The Kangaroo Kid for helping to maintain such a fun atmosphere for everyone. Paul Minihane for filming a documentary which we can’t wait to see on TV!

Danny, Danielle Hall and everyone from Rogershill Raceway for so much I just cannot list it all here, not least the awesome track.

Roy Barton and the MCF for timing, permitting and insuring the event along with Sally Cake, Natasha Abbot and the Ringwood MX club for lap scoring.

The friendly team at Everyone Active Weymouth for keeping me fit and Gary Linge from LTA Training Academy for keeping on track with a training plan.

Andi Deeks and EKS Goggles for supplying me with clear vision throughout, the guys at Madison for supplying my great Thor riding kit.

Sports2 Nutrition, Paul from MXSpain, and fellow riders Robb Webb & Lewis Lacey for keeping me hydrated and energized.

Johnny & Ryan at Torc1 Racing in the USA for their astonishing grips and Risk Racing for their Palm protectors. 24 hours and no blisters says it all, what a combination.

Casterbridge Land Surveyors and Wessex Surveyors for surveying the track. I can’t forget Andy at YHC Hire Services for the top service and providing the Porta-Loo and Lighting Towers.

James and Garry of Sign Shop Express for the print support they have given me.

The local media for so much coverage, the Off Road press for the same reason.

Neil Hawker for creating the Bike Trials arena and grading the track, Nick Manning for his Bike Trial display.

Wyke Regis garage for the bike juice.

Mark Disney from Total MX and Alan at W R Cockings for their generous support.

Lastly (but by no means least) Colin from So & So Marketing, Chris at Rapid for stepping up as Pit Crew Chef and all of the hour sponsors and people who donated to the charities, the fellow riders Dave Wright, Dean Bachelor, Jeff Goss and everyone else who came and supported the event and sent messages of support.

The time is now!

So we are now at the business end of the record attempt, and before I sign off and hand over to my able bodied social media assistants, I would just like to thank everyone who has been involved, helped, supported, donated and sent messages so far.  Everything is greatly appreciated by myself, the team and the two great charities we are supporting.

Its been a hard slog but it would be fantastic if as many of you as possible could join me for this great experience.  Any support would be certainly appreciated and the Tuesday evening is going to be an entertaining one for sure.  All of the info regarding what is happening is on the below press release, and full directions to the track are now on www.24hoursofmx.co.uk

Don't forget to bring pit boards or a makeshift version so you can show me messages when I come by the pit area.  As well as motivational ones, I am certainly not adverse to a bit of humour so over to you on that one, I will need some entertainment while I am going round.

Anyway thanks again and hopefully seeya there!

The time is now for World Record hopeful, so get involved!

Months of arduous training and countless practice laps are all going to be put to the test for Weymouth World Record hopeful Paul Oughton who on midday Tuesday will begin his gruelling 24 Hour Motocross Guinness World record attempt.

Paul's attempt will see him raising money for the Weldmar Hospice and the Wings for Life Spinal Chord Research Foundation, and he is inviting everyone to be part of it during Tuesday evening for what will be a very special occasion with some famous guests.

Public are invited to support and watch Paul at any time, but the Tuesday evening is when most people will be heading over to the track with entertainment lined up for everyone including guest appearances, from the Kangaroo Kid's the World Famous Quad stunt riders fresh from the Dorset County Show, Mountain bike trials ace Nick Manning, 3 times Motocross World Champion Dave Thorpe and four times British Motocross Champion Stephen Sword.

Paul will also be assisted at the event by Mike Buss, who has been hailed before as the World's Fittest Man and holder of no less than 48 World records of his own. Mike will be supporting Paul and his team with logistics, motivation and rules and regulations of the attempt.

On top of this the team from the Air 107.2 radio station will be there, with hot food, and hot and cold drinks also available. Paul starts his attempt at Midday but festivities start from 4pm with the guest appearances beginning at 6pm until 8pm so it is early enough for children to enjoy on a school night.

Paul also is keen to get as many people involved as possible and is encouraging people to bring along Pit boards or to bring makeshift ones so that they can communicate good luck messages to him while he is riding. There will be a designated safe area so that it will be safe for supervised children to do this also. Pit boards are what the pro motor sport teams use to communicate with their driver and riders whilst they are racing, and are commonly used in Motocross.

Paul told us “I really want to make Tuesday a great evening for everyone who comes out and supports me, and it is fantastic that the Kangaroo Kid's will be making their final 2013 UK appearance with us and doing a display. Nick Manning is an awesome talent on a bike, so he will be great to see, and the fact that Dave Thorpe and Stephen Sword will be putting some laps in with me is amazing. The big thing though is that I want everyone to be part of it and with it being such a long and ardous task, any good luck, motivational or even funny messages whilst I am going round will certainly help, so I would like people to create or bring pit boards along to the track which they can hold out and show me as I am going round”.

The track is at Rogershill Raceway just off the A35 taking the Tolpuddle exit. With signposts to the track being placed from here. The postcode for the venue is DT2 7HN.

For full directions and event info and timings visit www.24hoursofmx.co.uk

There is now a facebook page set up which is named 24hoursofmotox and donations can be made via uk.virginmoneygiving.com/24hoursofmx with donation forms and buckets also available at the event.

With a little help from my Swindon Friends!

The town of Swindon has been a pretty big part of my life, and I have many great friends and acquaintances from the town.  In fact our website has been kindly created by the So & So Marketing web maestro Colin Stratford who hails from the town. Below is the PR for Swindon town regarding the great news that the fitness hero, and multiple World Record breaker Mike Buss is going to be a big part of the support team during the record overseeing everything Guinness related. (and not the drink).  Also you will read some of my motivations behind supporting Wings for Life as one of the charities.



Paul goes for World Record Motocross attempt with help from his Swindon friends!

A former Swindon sports marketing supremo Paul Oughton, is taking on the Americans in a grueling 24 Hour Motocross Guinness World Record attempt in aid of Charity with a little help from some local friends.

Paul was formerly the Commercial Director at the Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey team and Commercial Manager at Swindon Speedway helping the clubs bring in £1000's of revenue through sponsorship and never being short of a creative marketing stunt or two.

Now working as a self employed marketing consultant back in Weymouth, Paul has launched himself in this latest challenge which takes place at the Rogershill Raceway, Nr Bere Regis in Dorset in aid of the Wings for Life Spinal Chord Research Foundation and the Weldmar Hospice in Dorchester.

Paul said of his charity choice “One of the main reasons for me choosing Wings for Life as a charity was the accident and injuries received by former Swindon Speedway legend Leigh Adams in an Enduro crash after his retirement in Australia. Leigh and his wife Kylie were a great help to myself when promoting the club, and massive servants to the Robins and the news of his injury affected me as well as it affected many people who have watched him race over the years. When I used to chat to Leigh it was always about Enduro and Motocross more than speedway and I know it was what he was looking forward to doing when he got back to Australia”.

Not short of contacts in the Swindon area Paul has called on multiple World Record breaking athlete Mike Buss who he met whilst working in the town to assist with the logistics, motivation and rules and regulations of the attempt. Mike said of his involvement “Ive known Paul for a few years now and he has always been very supportive of me during the height of my world record breaking when he was with both Swindon Robins and Swindon Wildcats, so when Paul asked me for help and advice on his world record attempt I said I was with him all the way...  I will be taking on the role of overseeing all the logistics of the record, making sure all the rules are adhered to and all paperwork and evidence is recorded. Thats the most important bit, otherwise all Paul's efforts are for nothing.  I know he can do it so looking forward to the 10th”

Another Swindon based sportsman involved is 4 times British Motocross Champion Stephen Sword who retired from competitive racing only recently and who now works with 3 Times World Champion David Thorpe at his Honda Off Road Centre in Cardiff, Stephen said “i knew Paul from being involved with the Sports clubs in Swindon and he always welcomed me as a guest. I have been putting Paul through his paces at the Off Road Centre, and giving him as much advice and support as I can and I am sure he can break the record”.

The record itself is held by American Perry Prichard who achieved his goal exactly 3 years to the day Paul will be attempting it. The event itself and build up is being filmed by Blood, Sweat and Gears to be aired in October on Motors TV.
Public are welcome to attend the record and support Paul, with it starting at Midday on Tuesday 10^th September finishing at midday on the 11^th September.

For more information on the record or to sponsor or donate to the charities visit www.24hoursofmx.co.uk

The MCF to be keeping you all updated!

It is great to be able to say my friends at the MC Federation will be supporting the record attempt with insurance, permits and the paperwork side of things alongside of the fact they will be timing the whole thing.  I have worked with them on quite a few things and the great thing about them is that they really do have a passion for Off road motorcycle sport and there are without doubt one of the best things to have happened to the sport in recent years.

Thanks to them also you will be able to keep up to date with how I am progressing via live timing  on their website www.mcfederation.com or by downloading the MY Laps app through your iphone or Android.

Here's the press release about it all below...

The MCF are proud to announce that we are timing and supporting Weymouth based MX rider Paul Oughton's charity 24 Hour Motocross World Record attempt which takes place on the 10^th & 11^th of September.

“One of the charities Paul is riding for is that of Wings for Life Spinal Chord Research Foundation which is also the designated charity and having worked with him on a number of projects we were more than happy to step in and help out where we could” said Roy Barton the General Manager of the MCF.

Paul has also been supported by the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre with bikes and training and he has been working with four times British Champion Stephen Sword at the centre in Wales.

The attempt takes place at the Rogershill Raceway nr Bere Regis in Dorset, with one of Paul's former clubs and MCF affiliated Ringwood MXC stepping in to help with some of the manual lapscoring and marshalling of the event. Everything is also being recorded for a documentary to be aired on Motors TV and viewed in 107 different countries as part of the Blood, Sweat and Gears series.

Paul said of the MCF's support “I have worked with the MCF on quite a few events over the last few years and they have always offered our events fantastic hands on support, and I am very glad they are going to helping and supporting this World Record attempt as there are so many logistical timebombs to take care of and I know I can rely on those guys. I spent some of my best years riding schoolboy MX with Ringwood as well so for them to come on board and help out is awesome and it also shows how the MCF clubs and organisation all work together to support one another.”

There are opportunities still available for companies to sponsor and support the record attempt t by emailing info@24hoursofmx.com or by visiting uk.virginmoneygiving.com/24hoursofmx

For more information on the record visit www.24hoursofmx.com or follow on twitter @24hoursofmx

News will out soon with regards to the event itself and the special guests who will be attending.

On the BOX. #24hoursofmx on Motors TV!

Time is flying big time, and things have definitely been picking up on the PR front, especially with the fact that Paul Minihane and his team from Blood, Sweat and Gears are filming the attempt, build up and training for a Documentary to be filmed for Motors TV.  Filming started on Friday at my day of training at the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre, so on track footage was taken as well as interviews with me Dave Thorpe and Stephen Sword.  On Friday a great friend of mine from my Newport and Exeter Speedway days, Hywel Lloyd came and took some great pictures so a big thanks to him.

Below is a copy of the Blood, Sweat and Gears press release and some pictures from Friday's training!

Don't forget if you would like to support the record attempt by donating to the charities the link to the donation page is uk.virginmoneygiving.com/24hoursofmx

We will be also be needing help in quite a few other areas like lap scoring, and general track prep.... so if anyone would like to get involved and become part of the team give me a call on 07917 117007

I can also be followed on twitter @24hoursofmx

And check out the website www.24hoursofmx.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRESS RELEASE IN THE DIRT BIKE RIDER

The Transition: 2 Smoker to 4 Banger

So on Friday I had my first go on the 250f Honda that I will be riding for the record attempt, and even better I did it at the awesome Dave Thorpe Off Road Centre in Wales.

All of my training so far has been done on my YZ250 2 stroke, which to be honest is a bit of a beast and can be one hellava handful, but in saying that I do like the full on drive it gives you out of the bends when it picks up.  The theory was if I did the majority of my training on the YZ then when I jump on the 4 stroke Honda it will be tons easier to ride.

Well theories don't always work, but god darn it, this one does.  The Honda is so much more of a smoother ride.  I racked up 4 & 1/2 hours in boggy conditions at the Off Road Centre and felt completely fresh whereas on Wednesday, my last time on the YZ, I did four hours (admittedly in the rain) and it was a struggle.  Some of it may be that the Honda is smaller and lighter and I can chuck it around a bit more, but a lot of it stems from the smoother power and the fact it just chugs on through the mud.

I have to say though my YZ has done an amazing job, that poor fella has taken a hammering with at least 4 hours of riding every week, through wind, rain, bog, heat.....  and huge credit has to got to my Dad who has prepped, maintained and made sure the old girl has kept going!

Don't forget if you would like to support the record attempt by donating to the charities the link to the donation page is uk.virginmoneygiving.com/24hoursofmx

We will be also be needing help in quite a few other areas like lap scoring, and general track prep.... so if anyone would like to get involved and become part of the team give me a call on 07917 117007

I can also be followed on twitter @24hoursofmx

And check out the website www.24hoursofmx.com

David Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre support 24 Hours of MX!!!

So the news that I have been looking forward to for a while now is out.  Yep the legend that is David Thorpe, four times World MX Champion has stepped forward with his new Honda off Road Centre to support my World record attempt.  To say I am happy is an understatement and I am so appreciative of their support its unreal.  The whole team at the Off road centre have been amazing and I am looking forward to getting on the bikes and wracking up some laps soon.

Check out the full press release below:

MX legend steps up to support World Record hopeful!

Motocross Legend Dave Thorpe and his team at the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre have stepped up to assist World record hopeful Paul Oughton with his quest to break the Guinness World record of the longest distance achieved on a Motocross bike in 24 Hours.

Paul who hails from Weymouth in Dorset has been under going a rigourous training regime over the last four months in preperation for the attempt which takes place at the Rogershill Raceway on the 10^th and 11^th September. In attempting this record he is also raising funds for the Weldmar Hospice in Dorchester and the international Wings for Life charity which funds the research of spinal chord injuries.

Four times World Champion Dave Thorpe said of the support “we met Paul through a mutual aquaintance a few months back, and it only came to light a bit later what he was undertaking. With the new Off Road Centre now in full swing, and with a great trainer in Stephen Sword on top of the fact Honda are the most reliable motocross bikes in the World, we felt that we were in a great position to help Paul out. We will be supporting him with both training and bikes for the attempt itself. Paul is also supporting some great charities in doing this attempt and we are glad to help him all we can”.

Paul said of the announcement “When I was contacted by Dave with his offer of support, I was amazed to say the least, its not very often a four times World Champion calls you up. I am really looking forward to getting some laps in on the Honda, and to be riding at their Off Road Centre, in Cardiff. I used to race against Stephen Sword back in the day and to have him and Dave in my corner is a dream come true. Not only that but the full team at the Off Road Centre have been really helpful and supportive and I am hoping to break the record for them as much as for the charities and my family & friends who have been offering me amazing support”.

Stephen Sword is a three times British Champion and GP regular for 13 seasons and having retired this year from competitve racing is the full time coach of the Off Road Centre which offers Enduro. Motocross & taster sessions for beginners to experienced riders with all bikes and equipment provided at their venue in Ynyswbwl, South Wales, the heart of some of the very best off-road motorcycling terrain in the UK.

Sword's said of the attempt “I know Paul has been working hard on his fitness both on and off the bike, but he has a big task to achieve so I am looking forward to putting him through his paces to ensure he is as fully prepared both mentally and physically for September”.

The Off Road Centre will be supporting Paul with one of Stephens Honda 250f bikes which should give him a smoother ride than his own Yz250 2 stroke that he is currently training on.

For more information on the record attempt visit www.24hoursofmx.com follow on twitter @24hoursofmx or make a donation at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/24hoursofmx

For information on the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre visit www.davethorpehondaoffroad.com visit them on twitter @dthondaoffroad on facebook www.facebook.com/davethorpehondaoffroad or by calling 01884 266443