Radio X’s Toby Tarrant ‘genuinely so nervous’ about pedalo challenge

Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X this morning, Toby Tarrant gave an update ahead of his upcoming ‘Tarrant vs the Thames’ challenge for Global’s Make Some Noise.

The challenge will see him pedal a gruelling 56 miles down the River Thames on a pedalo! He sets off on Monday 7 October for the most physically and mentally demanding challenge of his life.

Starting at Henley-on-Thames, Toby will travel 56 miles on the River Thames in a unicorn-designed pedalo, to raise funds for the charity.

Well, that was the plan anyway… Due to huge amounts of rain over the last couple of weeks, the River Thames is officially on ‘Red Alert,’ meaning no unpowered boats or vessels can be on the river outside of London.

This obviously puts the challenge in jeopardy, with the Thames seemingly besting Toby before he’s even got started. “It’s 1-0 up!” Toby said himself.

Undeterred, Toby joined The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X this morning, to provide an important update – the challenge will still go ahead, albeit via an alternative and even more challenging route!

This means he’ll will start where the Thames meets the Grand Union Canal in Brentford, west London, where Toby will then travel across London via the Regents Canal!

Once he reaches the end of the Islington tunnel, he’ll have to turn around and come back along the same route! The challenge will then finish on a portion of the River Thames in London, as he heads down towards his finish line at Putney!

“The last three days, the work that’s been going on behind the scenes,” Toby told Chris. “Basically, every section of water, they’ve had to basically get clearance for my pedalo; trying to convince the Islington canal tunnel to let me go through it for a mile.

“I wish they’d recorded that phone call!  The tunnel’s a mile long, and boats and stuff go through there, and then there’s going to be one bloke having a midlife crisis on a pedalo. So, we are absolutely guessing at timings. I’m hoping I can do it in about 10 hours a day.”

When asked how he’s feeling about his upcoming challenge, Toby admitted: “Genuinely so nervous. Because the London Marathon, I knew I would finish no matter what; even if it took seven hours, I would get around.

“This is just the most unknown; we’re very much making it up as we go along. No one’s really done something this stupid before on their own in a unicorn pedalo.”

To support Toby Tarrant on his challenge and Global’s Make Some Noise go to makesomenoise.com.