It's a journey that's 6,400 kilometres (4,000 miles) in the making – taking in a varied terrain of mountains, the coast and prairie – all in the name of a worthy cause, and today, it set out of Whitehorse.

With only about 10 days left on their trek from Austin, Tex., to Anchorage, the 53 cyclists who are taking part in the Texas 4000 for Cancer are now travelling as an entire group for the first time since the second day of their journey when they separated in Lampasas, Tex.

All are students at the University of Texas.

They are all cycling in an effort to share hope, knowledge and charity with those fighting cancer.

They start off each day by dedicating it to someone fighting the disease, and stopping on the route to educate people about cancer prevention and early detection.

They are also visiting cancer patients and raising funds for research, primarily at the university's M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre.

The annual ride began seven years ago, when cancer survivor Chris Condit decided to cycle from Austin to Anchorage for cancer.

A group of 25 made up the coastal contingent on this year's annual journey. They rolled through Texas, on to New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon and finally Washington before crossing the border into B.C. and heading north to the territory.

The other 27, meanwhile, took the rocky route, travelling through Texas to Oklahoma onto Colorado, Wyoming and Montana before crossing the border into Alberta and then into B.C. before heading north to the Yukon.

"As many college students are enjoying their relaxing summer vacations, this group of (53) students have chosen a 4,687-mile path less travelled, and they're doing it on a bike,” Jimmy Schatte, Texas 4000 for Cancer's board chair, said in a statement.

"The dedication and sacrifice shown by these young people is a testament to their desire to end cancer and their drive to make a difference.”

On Monday, the coastal group was the first to arrive at Bethany Pentecostal Tabernacle in Whitehorse, where they stayed until they left this morning.

"We're just waiting for the (group from the) Rockies,” Arvin Akhavan, the assistant ride director for the coastal group, said in an interview Monday from the church.

While he couldn't speak for the ride through the Rockies, Akhavan said he's been pleased over the last two months, as his group has grown closer together, all sharing in the experience.

The routine has them rising at 5 a.m. and donning the now-dreaded Spandex that makes up their outfits for the day.

"We've become a family after two months,” Akhavan said.

Having 24 others in the same boat is definitely a good motivator to get up and get on that bike again each morning, he added.

Also motivating Akhavan is seeing how motivated his colleagues are from their own personal experiences knowing someone who had cancer.

In Akhavan's own case, he said, his mother was fortunate to beat uterine cancer after a relatively minor struggle compared to what others have been through in fighting the disease.

"It kind of hit home,” he said.

While his mother beat it, he said it was her experience that he thought of when he first heard about the ride.

"It sounded like a cool idea,” he said, recalling hearing about it when it was advertised on-campus,then attending an information meeting.

Like many others on the journey, Akhavan was not a regular cyclist when he first signed up for the ride.

That made for a difficult task in the first few weeks of getting into the routine of cycling for hours day after day (with the exception of some rest days brought into the trip).

While he's enjoyed seeing the range of scenery along the route, he noted some spots have been better than others.

The heat in Nevada and New Mexico made that part of the journey particularly onerous, and while B.C. and the Yukon are a little cooler, Akhavan said he's been taken by surprise at the heat north of the border as well.

"We expected it to be colder in Canada,” he said.

Despite the hot weather the group has slogged through over the many miles of road, Akhavan believes it's been worth it.

With the exception of a few drivers unhappy with the group of cyclists on the road, Akhavan said, most people the group meets are receptive to their message and often generously donate, some even wanting to get their picture taken with the group.

"That's been one of the pleasant surprises,” said Akhavan, who has raised close to $5,000. "The response has been really awesome.”

Donations also come in through the group's website at www.texas4000.org and over the past seven years, since the ride started, a total of $1.5 million has been raised, with 1.2 million miles logged on the road.

Getting set for the last portion of the trip, Akhavan said, he hopes he and his colleagues from both the coastal and Rockies ride are able to travel safely, with members of both groups getting to know one another again.

It's expected they'll arrive in Anchorage on Aug. 13, and once there, they'll visit with cancer patients and educate the community about prevention.

Although the cycling will be over, that's not where the journey will end.

On Aug. 28, the team will be honoured at the annual fund-raiser for the Texas 4000 for Cancer set to take place at the Austin Hyatt Regency Hotel in Texas.

And after this experience, Akhavan is eyeing up other opportunities to journey on his bike for some long-distance cycling – although a lot fewer miles than this – including one ride from Seattle to Portland.