After a long journey through 17 countries, eight British Muslim pilgrims arrived in Madinah Saturday on bicycles to perform Hajj, MEM reported.

“The journey is spiritual, and despite its difficulties, it remains one of the most wonderful trips,” the leader of the pilgrims’ team, Taher Akhtar, told Al-Arabiya TV channel.

The group, who call themselves the “Tour de Hajj”, kicked off their journey on June 7 and it was expected to take 60 days.

They pedaled through 17 different countries, with only a break to cross Syria and Iraq to reach Egypt by plane.

They aimed at raising awareness and funds for needy Muslims across the world for building mosques and schools.

According to the local newspaper Okaz, the people of Medina welcomed the British pilgrims chanting “Tala’ al Badru ‘Alayna,” forcing the pilgrims to burst into tears; they thanked God for their safety, following a 6,500 km journey.

The British pilgrims will complete their journey from Madinah to Makkah to begin the rituals of Hajj.

Similar Journeys

There have been previous similar adventures, especially with regard to performing Hajj.

Last month, a group of four Kenyan cyclists and two support members embarked on a lengthy trip from Nairobi to Makkah to perform Hajj and raise funds to educate needy children in Kenya.

In 2018, a family of five Indonesian Muslims took a lengthy cycling journey of 13,000 km to Makkah to perform Hajj.

In 2017, another Indonesia Muslim walked more than 9,000 kilometers to perform Hajj.

In 2012, 47-year-old Bosnian Muslim, Senad Hadzic, reached the holy city of Makkah on foot to perform Hajj.

During his journey, the man walked for nearly 3,600 miles (5,900 km) from his Bosnian village to the holy city of Makkah.