This is the fourth in my series of posts about my preparation for the 1530km London Edinburgh London audax event in August 2025. In this edition, I experience life as a volunteer – and love it! The series was inspired by LEL supremo Danial Webb asking if anyone was planning to post about their training and preparation for the event. Read part one here (my road to LEL), part 2 here (lessons from London Wales London) and part 3 here (even harder lessons from the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600k audax).

An event like London Edinburgh London doesn’t happen by magic. It takes countless hours of hard work and problem solving over four years by organiser Danial Webb, route director Andy Berne, start and finish control boss Tim Decker and many others, supported by an army of volunteers during the event.

I’m riding LEL this year, but this weekend got an unforgettable glimpse of the dedication of the organisers and volunteers. Liam Fitzpatrick, who runs the 400k London Wales London audax, put out a call for volunteers to help put together the rider registration packs. As this was happening at Flaunden, Herts, just seven miles from where I live, I couldn’t say no. It was a chance to give something back, as well as learn more about an event I’ve come to love, despite not (yet) having experienced it!

Flaunden village hall was a hive of activity when I arrived just after 9am on a grey Sunday morning. Danial, Liam and Tim had done a lot of preparatory work the day before. Around 35 people had volunteered to help, including making teas, coffees and lunch for those putting the packs together.

When you pick up your rider registration pack on Saturday 2 August, you won’t give a moment’s thought to how it was put together. And why would you? You’re probably feeling equally excited and nervous about taking part in one of the world’s greatest amateur cycling events. Yet in Flaunden’s village hall around 30 people assembled over 48,000* individual items, many of which varied by rider, into 2,409 rider registration bags. (* Based on the conservative assumption that most riders had bought at least one item of merchandise, typically a jersey. Some bought so many extras that they needed two bags!)