ROYAL Engineer Alastair Bartlam wanted a challenge to mark the end of his 36-year military career.

He has already tackled marathon running and mountain climbing, so in September he and four of his mates will be setting out on a 900-mile cycle marathon from John O’Groats to Land’s End on September 16.

The 54-year-old Lieutenant Colonel, whose family home is in Royal Wootton Bassett, will also be raising money for Julia’s House and SSAFA.

He said: “During my service I have challenged myself on various occasions, we thought 900 miles in nine days would be a fitting end to my Royal Engineer military service.”

Ali, who currently works in an army personnel centre in Glasgow and is the career manager for 6,500 soldiers in the ranks of the Royal Engineers, joined up as a Junior Sapper in 1978.

And during his career he made the most of the opportunities to get involved in sport, but it wasn’t until his latest posting that he bought himself a cycle.

He said: “In the two years I’ve been working there I’ve discovered cycling.”

“I used to do a bit of marathon running and my knees, hips and ankles used to ache quite a bit.” So he got on his bike and discovered the beauty of the Scottish landscape within a couple of weeks.

In 2015 he took part in the 66 mile Loch Ness sportive and enjoyed it so much he cycled more than a hundred miles in the Big Belter between Glasgow and Edinburgh a few months later.

Now the time has come for him to hang up his uniform for good he is preparing to pedal off in style with fellow military men Lt Col Patrick Denham and Royal Navy Lieutenant Matt Hayes.

They aim to complete the trip by September 24, staying in military bases along the route.

He said: “All three of us decided to raise some money for local charities as part of the challenge.”

Ali, whose wife Dawn will be in the support van, chose Julia’s House, which offers respite care to families of children with life-limiting conditions.

“It was because it was a Wiltshire charity. We have four grandchildren and we just thought about what they do for families where children are in a very difficult situation and the support they give.”

As well as their own good causes, they will be raising money for SSAFA, the armed forces charity that helps the families of service personnel.

So far he has managed to raise more than £200 in sponsorship. Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Alastair-Bartlam to sponsor him.