ON TRACK with a record-breaking journey from east to west Europe on a bike, to raise money for Cancer Research and Living Water Africa is James McLaren.

Mr McLaren, 29, is a BT/Openreach engineer and lives in Bideford but was born and bred in Bradworthy. He attended Hartland Primary School, Budehaven and the comprehensive school and North Devon College, and is an ex member of Bideford Athletic club, who he ran with for several years.

His father is a postman in Bude and his mother Sue McLaren is a nurse in Bradworthy.

Mr McLaren set off on his journey on May 2, and will be cycling from the eastern to westernmost point of Europe.

He set off from Ufa, Russia and will cycle his way to Cabo Da Roca, near Lisbon in Portugal and hopes to complete the course in the fastest possible time.

He will be completing this 4,000-mile journey solo and hopes to raise money for his two chosen charities.

So far he has cycled through Russia, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France and recently crossed the border into Spain.

By day 25 of his journey on May 26, he had completed 3,200-miles, with an average of 120-miles per day, putting him on target to break the world record.

The Guinness Book of Records has the current record set by Loughborough University student in 2014, Mr James Bowtell, who completed the same course in 37 days.

Mr Bowtell had a full support team with him during his journey, unlike Mr McLaren. He has no support with him, just his girlfriend, family and friends back in North Devon willing him on to complete this amazing trip, in a hopefully amazing time.

If he is able to keep going at the consistent pace he has been cycling at so far he should beat the record by several days, however will first have to travel through the Pyrenees, which may slow him down for a day or two.

He is hoping to reach Cabo Da Roca sometime this week and both he and his bike are in one piece.

In order to beat the previously set record Mr McLaren will need to have reached his destination before Tuesday (June 7), as the Post went to print.

Mr McLaren’s mother, Sue McLaren, expressed her pride in her son’s achievement so far, she said: “We are the proudest parents of a young man who has put everything and more into preparing and training for this trip.

“It is totally self funded (i.e no corporate sponsorship) and to have the courage to embark on a journey of such magnitude alone, shows sheer grit and determination to succeed.

“He has trained for many months for this, which takes a lot of time, as well as holding a full time job. The fundraising has reached the target he set before he has completed the trip, so we are hoping it will continue.”

A tracker has been set up to measure five-minute intervals of Mr McLaren’s cycle ride to fulfil the Guinness Book of Records requirements.

The public can also track his progress and what he has been going through by following the Facebook link facebook.com/4000mile-charity-cycle-across-Europe-502836639923257 and see how the family has been able to track him with a GPS tracker.

To support Mr McLaren in his record breaking attempt to raise money for Cancer Research and Living Water Africa visit his BT donate page mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamesmclaren1