They rode for nine hours each day, covering 250km, for five days.
But the gruelling ride was worth it. The 64 cyclists in the annual Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) Millennium Ride have raised $305,860 for the KDF so far.
Business analyst Jack Tan, 47, said he signed up for the challenge as he wanted to support patients who go through that kind of suffering and pain.
His mother, now 75, had survived cancer twice and he wanted to dedicate the ride to her.
The 1,200km ride is the longest Millennium Ride so far. It is 200km more than previous instalments that lasted four days.
"Thinking of my mother allowed me to continue during the many times I wanted to give up," Mr Tan said.
Organised by non-profit group Epic Cyclist, the annual ride raises money for the KDF, which provides subsidised dialysis to patients and supports kidney disease research. Funds will support an estimated 2,033 dialysis sessions for low-income patients.
The cyclists were flagged off in Hat Yai, Thailand, on Jan 25, and pedalled along the west coast of Malaysia - through Taiping, Muar and Kuala Lumpur - before returning to Singapore around 6pm yesterday. They ended their journey at the Singapore Island Country Club, where a welcome dinner awaited them.
Senior Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat and KDF founder and chairman Gordon Ku were among those who welcomed the cyclists home.
The cyclists came from all walks of life, with the oldest being 65-year-old retiree Peter Sng.
Another rider, Mr Benjamin Kwek, 48, had been hospitalised for 10 days in November 2016 after a cycling accident left him with a broken hip bone and femur.
"In those 10 days, I felt the most down I had ever felt in my entire life," said the married father of two.
"Thinking of that pain and the pain we went through during the ride, I still think it's nothing compared with the pain dialysis patients go through. This is the least we can do for them."
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the annual ride.
The KDF currently serves about 300 dialysis patients, with 51 per cent over the age of 60, at its three centres islandwide.
Dialysis can cost up to $2,000 per month.
Online donations for the KDF Millenium Ride remain open till June 30. Go to https://kdf.give.asia/ charity/kdf to donate.
