From horses to bikes, there is never a dull moment at UPS as preparations continue in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A crucial part of our planning over the coming months has focused on testing the large-scale logistical processes that will be used during the London 2012 Games for the live, nationwide events.  

The latest event to put UPS to the test was the Deloitte Ride Across Britain (RAB), where we facilitated the event’s logistics processes over the course of nine days. Launched in 2010, the RAB offers the opportunity for approximately 600 solo riders and relay teams to raise money for Paralympics GB by cycling the iconic 900 mile route from John O’Groats to Lands End.

Our preparations began before the riders even arrived at John O’Groats with the transportation of riders’ bikes to the start line. But, this was far from the finish for us. In addition to transporting riders’ bikes, we were also tasked with providing logistical support across each of the nine base camps staged at 100-mile intervals along the course, moving more than 1500 crucial pieces of equipment. This included everything from tents, mattresses, bike racks, crowd control barriers and massage beds, to event furniture and branding materials, sports nutrition, non-perishable goods and riders’ bike bags.

This was by no means an easy feat. Beyond serving base camps spread out over considerable distances across the length and breadth of the UK, we also had to incorporate a flexible delivery schedule to accommodate differing rider times. Our teams on the ground had to ensure that both those riders setting off from base camps in the morning, and those faster riders arriving at the next had all the materials and equipment they required. Utilising twelve vehicles from our fleet, we split the operation into several teams, so that as soon as the breakdown of a camp was taking place on one site, UPS teams were already delivering and setting up base camps further down the course.

UPS’s involvement with the Ride Across Britain didn’t end with the logistical support either with  three of our employees, Simon J Rhodes, Dave Woodiwiss and Darren Perry, taking part in the whole race, cycling alongside Olympians, athletes and other participants.

After riding across 900 miles, covering some of the most remote and beautiful terrain in the UK and even a leg of the race where three additional UPS riders joined in support, the race was complete for our intrepid three. But our logistics team’s efforts didn’t end with the end of the race. As 600 riders rode across the finish line, along came the challenge of reuniting riders with their bikes.  The team collected bikes at the finish line and coordinated the safe return and delivery of all bikes to access points across the country.

Looking back, we were able to identify the best of our existing capabilities and how to address the additional challenges brought about by supporting an event of this size and scale. Through this process, we’ve been given a valuable glimpse into what is expected of us next year, and have had the opportunity to further hone our expertise in event logistics ahead of one of the world’s most complex global logistical challenges. It’s really starting to feel as though solid foundations are in place to deliver one of the best Olympic Games yet.