British ultra-endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont has broken for the world record for the fastest circumnavigate of world—being the first to ever officially do it in under 80 days.
The 34-year-old, from Perthshire, completed his epic round-the-world journey on 18 September, and was greeted on the finish line at Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France by Guinness World Records adjudicator Anna Orford, along with family members, friends and the media.
Cycle of a lifetime
Dubbed the ‘Artemis World Cycle’, Beaumont’s journey saw him travel over 18,000 miles, across 16 different countries. He finished his trip in just 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes, breaking the previous record held by Andrew Nicholson by an impressive 43 days.
The Fastest circumnavigation by bicycle (female) title is held by Italy’s Paola Gianotti, who cycled around the world in 144 days in 2014, covering a distance of 29,595 km (18,389 mi).
The long-distance athlete set off in Paris on 2 July, before cycling through Europe, Russia and China—the first stage of his journey—and then moving on to reach Western Australia on 31 July.
Alongside breaking the record for the fastest circumnavigation, during his first 29 days, Beaumont also broke the record for the Farthest distance cycled in one month: 11,315.29 km (7,031 miles).
The moment @MrMarkBeaumont receives the world record for circumnavigation of the planet: 78 days, 14 hours, 40 mins. #ArtemisWorldCycle pic.twitter.com/cmfEi10xzg
— EdGB (@EdGoreBrowne) September 18, 2017
The challenges
However, it wasn’t all smooth-sailing. A fall which happened on his ninth day, threatened to set Beaumont back a few days. Despite this, the determined athlete powered on, adventuring through unknown territories where weather conditions were unpredictable and potentially dangerous. He endured sub-zero temperatures along the way, and risked being caught up in secondary storms of Hurricane Irma as he travelled through the US.
After completing the expedition, he told Guinness World Records:
This has been, without doubt, the most punishing challenge I have ever put my body and mind through. The physical and mental stamina required for each day was a challenge in itself, but I had an amazing support team around me.
His team
In addition to his performance manager Laura Penhaul, whose’s a Guinness world record holder herself, Beaumont’s support crew included a navigator, a bike mechanic, and his mother. Una Beaumont, who has worked with her son on all of his expeditions, managed the crew at base camp. A camera team also stuck with the athlete, sharing the entire journey online and for a documentary.
Amazing achievement! We'll be talking to @MrMarkBeaumont about cycling around the world in 80 days! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/rla9de9uFk
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) September 19, 2017
Alongside his achievement, Beaumont has also continued to raise a huge amount for Orkidstudio— an inspiring grassroots organisation from Scotland. To find out more and donate click here.
This is an incredible achievement and we’re sending our full congratulations to Mark and his team from ADAPT HQ. At ADAPT we’re also supporting our local friend and athlete Nick Butter who is planning to run the world next year for Prostate Cancer UK. Find out more about his plans here.
Comments