Wayland Town Crier 7/23/09: Over 100 local residents participating in Pan-Mass. Challenge . Everyone who enjoys being outside has found the dreary weather of the spring and early summer aggravating. The rain and mud cut down on many outdoor activities, but certain Wayland and Weston residents may be feeling the loss more acutely than most.

They’re all training for the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a nationally renowned athletic fundraiser for cancer research and one of the most successful fundraisers in the world. The bike-a-thon takes place Aug. 1 and 2, during which participants travel several different routes, depending on time and ability. The longest is a two-day ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown, and the shortest is a round trip from Wellesley to Bourne.

Wayland-based Team Jean has raised $2.5 million over the last eight years, equal to about 1 percent of what the entire Pan-Mass Challenge has raised in 30 years. Wayland contributors were the third largest donors last year./a>.