To say Pedalcure4MND was a success would be a complete understatement after a determined group of cyclists raised more than $120,000 in their week-long journey.

There was no shortage of emotion as a group of 25 cyclists, mostly from Lockhart, completed the 700 kilometre journey at Windy Hill on Sunday.

The ride started among the big festivities at Ungarie a week earlier, and included stops at Ariah Park, Ganmain, Lockhart, Corowa, Benalla and Seymour.

When John Fox first came up with the Pedalcure4MND idea, he had six cyclists on board and hoped to raise $10,000.

In the end, 80 riders completed different stages of the trip, 25 completed the whole journey and $120,000 has been raised, with more still coming in, for Neale Daniher’s Fight Motor Neurone Disease (MND) campaign.

“It was fantastic, and bloody extraordinary to raise over $120,000 in the finish,” Fox said.

“I thought if we could have half a dozen do the ride and raise $10,000 I would be stoked but it just grew and grew and grew.

“From the big Daniher day at Ungarie at the start, I didn’t know about the big footy when we planned it, but all the stars aligned really.”

Fox said there were special moments on every day throughout the trip, but said the finish at Windy Hill was the highlight for many.

“Riding into Windy Hill, with a lot of family and a lot of surprises, it was pretty emotional for a lot of them,” he said.

“No one in the group had ever ridden more than 300 kilometres in a week before so there were a lot of firsts for everyone.

“I know it was about raising awareness for MND but I think people learnt new things about themselves they didn’t know before and it was very helpful for mental health as well.”

There were males and females aged between 21 and 77 that completed the full ride.

Another highlight was eight-year-old Jacob Harper riding the second stage from Ariah Park to Coolamon.

Fox said the effort of 21-year-old Hannah Lenon to complete the entire trip was ‘extraordinary’, while he also mentioned the efforts of Craig Fletcher, who rode 80 kilometres down a freeway by himself after having six stitches in his knee after a crash.

“Hannah probably never should have made it, she was in a moonboot a couple of weeks before the ride,” he said.

“She had never ridden more than 40 kilometres in one day. She did the first 100 on the first day and said there was no way we were stopping her now.

“It was bloody tough, in hot conditions so to see her finish the whole way was extraordinary.

“There was things like that every day.”

Fox thanked Paul Bruest and the Daniher family for all their help, as well as all the rider’s families.

“To the families that allowed us to do it, helped up the home while we were off prancing around the country, it was really touching to see them all at the finish and we couldn’t have done it without them,” he said.