Preparations under way for Bike for Bibles marathon in Australia

CANBERRA, Australia — The Bible Society in Australia is calling on keen cyclists to get into training and arrange sponsorship for a marathon ride of 4,200kms (2,700 miles) in September 2003. This event, an element of the Society’s successful Bike for Bibles fund-raising initiative, is set to raise more than A$200,000 for the distribution of Scripture-based literacy materials in India.

The last Bike for Bibles event on this scale involved 34 people cycling from Perth to Sydney, arriving just in time for the Olympic Games in September 2000 (see World Report 356/27). This time, it is hoped that 50 cyclists will participate, travelling the same route but also crossing by ferry to Tasmania and finishing their ride in Hobart. Beginning on September 8, the ride will take 32 days, covering an average of 160kms (96 miles) each day.

Rodney Olsen, Bike for Bibles co-ordinator in Western Australia, will be making his fifth crossing of the Nullarbor National Park region. He says, “These rides are absolutely life-changing. I’m looking forward to seeing what God will do in the lives of the participants through this event.”