A cardiac charity is teaming up with a housebuilder to host a cycling event.

Heartbeat is working with Barratt David Wilson Homes’ Southampton division to deliver this year’s Heartbeat Cycle Sportive event.

The event will take place on Sunday, September 29, on World Heart Day, which is a global event to raise awareness and educate people about cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ways to help keep hearts healthy.

The Heartbeat Cycle Sportive is now in its eighth year and will take place in Test Valley, with a choice of 70- and 40-mile routes finishing in the grounds of Embley School, near Romsey.

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People taking part in a previous Heartbeat Cycle Sportive event (Image: Heartbeat) Cycle sportives are long-distance, organised cycling events – the cycling equivalent of running a marathon – which involve completing a set route of up to 150 miles.

They are designed to test all-round bike riding skills rather than flat-out speed.

The Heartbeat Cycle Sportive routes take cyclists through Romsey over to Winchester, Stockbridge, and Broughton where the routes split.

The longer route then travels over to Salisbury and the shorter one goes back to Romsey via East Tytherley.

This year’s event will be sponsored by Barratt Southampton as the housebuilder’s first joint venture with Heartbeat after it was named chosen charity of the year for 2024/2025.

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Megan Hamlyn, marketing manager at Barratt Southampton, who will be participating in the ride and is currently in training, said: "This will be my first time taking part in this event, and not to mention the first time I’ve cycled 40 miles.

"I know several people who have benefited from Heartbeat’s amazing support and I’m really excited to help raise much-needed funds for them."

Tina Richardson, head of operations at Heartbeat, said: "We’re so grateful for the support of the Barratt Homes team.

"They are even putting our smoothie bike in their reception for promotional purposes, so when people visit their offices they can make a smoothie by pedalling, while helping to raise funds for Heartbeat."

The route will be arrowed and marshalled by Heartbeat's volunteers, with free mechanical support provided en route by Giant Southampton.

Refreshments will be provided at Embley and Littleton, with water sponsored by Hildon Water, and there will be a support car sponsored by Hendy Motor Group.

Embley Independent Day and Boarding School provides their facilities from the start to the end of the event.