Cycling Team Marks Five Years of '100MilesForMax'

Taking on major challenge in memory of Southfield Primary schoolboy

The 100MilesForMax team

April 30, 2026

A Chiswick-based cycling team formed in memory of a Southfield Primary School pupil is marking its fifth anniversary with its biggest challenge yet, as Brain Tumour Awareness Month shines a spotlight on the urgent need for research into childhood brain cancers.

100MilesForMax was created by a group of parents and friends after eight-year-old Maxence was diagnosed with a low-grade glioma. During the long months of treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Max’s father cycled back and forth to visit him — a journey that became the seed of a wider mission. Max died four years after his diagnosis, but the rides continued, growing into a community effort that has now raised more than £60,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity.

What began as one father’s way of coping with the unthinkable has become a Chiswick tradition of remembrance, solidarity and determination. Each year, the team rides 100 miles in Max’s name, honouring his memory while supporting the medical teams and researchers who cared for him.

This year, to mark the group’s fifth anniversary, the cyclists are taking on their most demanding challenge yet: Chase the Sun, a 200-mile coast-to-coast ride from the Isle of Sheppey to Weston-super-Mare on 20 June. The route must be completed between sunrise and sunset, a test of endurance that most of the team — many of them parents with limited long-distance cycling experience — have never attempted before.

“It’s long, it’s tough, but it’s nothing compared to what families facing a brain tumour go through,” the team said as they launched their 2026 campaign.

Max (right) with his father

The riders are using the anniversary to highlight the urgent need for new treatments for children with FGFR-altered gliomas — a mutation that affects around 10% of paediatric glioma cases. Research led by Dr Katie Green and Professor Darren Hargrave at Great Ormond Street Hospital has shown that FGFR1 mutations activate a tumour-driving pathway and are often found in midline areas of the brain where surgery is extremely difficult. Despite this, there are currently no approved FGFR-targeted therapies for children, and existing treatments offer only modest results.

For the families affected, more research means more hope — and that is what drives the Chiswick team forward.

“Although Maxence is no longer with us, his spirit drives every mile we ride,” the group said. “Our commitment has only grown stronger.”

The team after completing a previous challenge

The Brain Tumour Charity, the world’s largest dedicated funder of brain tumour research, will receive all proceeds from this year’s challenge. Donations will help fund laboratory research, support families in crisis and accelerate the development of targeted treatments for children like Max.

Residents are encouraged to support the team as they prepare for the June ride, whether by donating, sharing their story or cheering them on as they train around Chiswick and west London.

Donations can be made via the 100MilesForMax JustGiving page.