Scottish cyclist breaks world record on Pan American Highway

A Scottish cyclist has set a new world record for cycling solo on a route known as the Pan American Highway from the top of Alaska to the bottom-most point of Argentina. Scott Napier reached Ushuaia, Argentina on Sunday in 126 days, smashing the previous record by a whole two weeks.

The 24-year-old from Leslie in Fife cycled around 13,500 miles on his route and passed through 14 countries in North, Central, and South America, pedalling more than 100 miles a day during his journey.

He started in Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, at the very top of the North American continent, on 22 June and finished in Ushuaia, Argentina - generally regarded as being the most southerly city in the world - on Sunday. He is expected to return home to Scotland by the weekend.

The previous record of 140 days was set by a cyclist accompanied by a sag wagon to carry his gear. Napier made the journey alone and carried everything he needed on his bike the entire way.

Highlights included seeing bears at the side of the road in Alaska and sleeping under the stars in the Atacama Desert in Chile and he said the backing of family and supporters helped him keep going through the difficult times.

Scott made the journey to raise money for MS Society Scotland and Casa Alianza, a South American charity helping street children in some of the countries he rode through.

Cyclists from these shores are proving that records for epic journeys around the globe are there to be broken. Last month round-the-world- cyclist James Bowthorpe broke the world record by a full three weeks – taking the record from another Scotsman, Mark Beaumont.