Employees at James Donaldson & Sons Ltd have completed their 2,000km challenge, accomplishing their goal of cycling around all 24 of the Donaldson branches throughout Britain.

The most remarkable effort was made by Alan Sinclair, a retired member of staff and non-executive director, who cycled the whole 2,000km in under three weeks. His enviable level of fitness was admired by the younger cyclists who completed the cycle as a relay – which even in small doses was a challenge.

After a demanding three weeks, Mr Sinclair still had enough energy left for a party at the finish line at the Donaldson’s sawmill in Leven. He and the final Team Donaldson cyclists were greeted by a large crowd cooling them down with showers of champagne as they crossed the finish line.

“The most outstanding aspect is the sense of achievement,” said Mr Sinclair. “Including my training, I cycled over 1,800 miles in three months. And one of the most incredible things is that I didn’t get a single puncture.

“Crossing the finish line was the best feeling. As I made the descent into the sawmill and saw everyone waiting it was breathtaking – and really emotional. Looking back over the experiences I had, it was all absolutely amazing. The plans worked extremely well, and I think it was as good as it could possibly have been – if not better. Plus, it was great fun.”

He had praise for all the Donaldson employees who participated. He said that apart from raising money for charity Columba 1400, a social enterprise and charity, which focuses on young people from challenging backgrounds, the best thing to come out of the event was the achievement from people who were not experienced cyclists.

“Seeing their feelings of pride and achievement at the end of each leg was truly inspirational, and I really hope it inspires them to keep up with the cycling,” said Mr Sinclair.

As well as promoting healthier lives for employees, the Donaldson Challenge also proved a success for team morale, with Donaldson employees full of praise for their fellow cyclists and cycle support teams. Furthermore, every single cyclist to have completed a leg of the challenge cited meeting employees from other branches; the support at each branch; and the company of their colleagues on the cycle as real highlights of their experience.

So far more than £6,000 has been raised for Columba 1400, with sponsorship still coming in.