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news
Mark Beaumont during his Artemis World Cycle challenge (via Twitter).jpgMark Beaumont completes round-the-world ride in 79 days to smash Guinness World Record
Mark Beaumont has this evening ridden into Paris to circumnavigate the globe by bike in just 79 days and thereby reclaim the Guinness World Record he set a decade ago.
The 34-year-old Scot set off from the French capital on 2 July and set himself a target of riding around the world in 80 days or less.
He arrived back in the city shortly before 7pm local time on Monday evening, a day ahead of schedule.
His journey took him across Europe and Asia, through Australia and New Zealand then the United States and Canada before he arrived in Portugal to commence the final leg last Wednesday.
Since returning to Europe, he had set himself the goal of arriving in Paris today, but last Friday proved one of the most difficult of his two and a half month challenge due to headwinds and a crash in the Pyrenees.
Despite having road rash on his hip, however, he was able to keep to his target, arriving in the city to be met by his family.
When he first set the Guinness World Record in 2008, Beaumont circled the planet in 194 days.
The record he beat today was held by the New Zealander Andrew Nicholson and stood at 123 days, with Beaumont's latest effort taking more than a third off that time.
He had already set one Guinness World Record during the trip, with official recognition that he has cycled the furthest distance in a month, confirmed at 7,031 miles.
After finishing his ride today, Beaumont said: "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.
"The success of cycling around the world in 80 days shows that what seemed impossible is possible and has redefined the limits of endurance sport.
"Each stage brought different challenges including different climates, which I had to adjust to quickly. Stage one through Russia and Mongolia was unknown territory, so to complete this phase and come out with a second Guinness World Records title is a real achievement."
He added: "I am very grateful for the support I've received from people all over the world, from fellow cyclists joining me on the road to messages and wishes online. The experience has been incredible, and I'm excited to share this journey for years to come."
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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21 comments
Well done, sir, well done. (Nice bike, too)
If ever in Cincinnati, Ohio, stop by the house for a rest, a shower if desired, a little food and drink and a floor pump.
16 hours a day on a bike - that's some going
Was it 79 days because he remembered about crossing the Date Line, unlike Phileas Fogg?
Am I seeing things, or has this positive story collapsed into a thread about accusations over pre-empting negativity?
I'd like to celebrate the obvious achievement, but I think rowing over the specifics here is even more spectacular. Chapeau all-round.
Mea Culpa.
A comment by me on RoadCC back in April when the attempt was announced;
"Hope I'm wrong but gut reaction is; can't be done in 80 days....would love to eat my hat on this one though"
Bon appétit!
Amazing achievement - must be utterly exhausted. But maybe riding home from Paris tomorrow to complete the 80th day?!
Beyond words
I thought it was beyond words to do that daily mileage for a week let along another 89 days. Incomprehensible and awesome.
Absolutely fantastic effort. I bet he's got some great stories to tell!
Chapeau!
He should write a book about it - I even have a title suggestion for him: "Around the world in .." Oh, hang on.
Wow - absolutely incredible. Well done Mark!
And to pre-empt all the naysayers about this being a supported ride - I don't care, this is amazing.
This was an amazing effort - why do you have to sew a seed of doubt? Just celebrate an amazing achievement and leave the small-minded negativity in your own life, not ours.
What kind of twisted over-reaction is that?
There have been nay-sayers in the comments below other road.cc stories on Mark's ride, I think it's valid to pre-empt them spewing negativity.
Anyway, your negativity dealt with - what an amazing effort and story and well-timed positivity and good vibes around cycling
Its an absolutely incredible effort - why is anyone even mentioning support riders and non-existent nay-sayers or casting shade at a time like this? Why can't we just celebrate an incredible effort?
Bloody hell - over-react much?
In comments on previous articles (and on other sites) plenty of people have complained about how MB's challenge wasn't totally valid as he had a support crew. I've always maintained that is bollocks and he is doing something incredible. Read my comment with that in mind and it'll probably make more sense.
Anyway, back to the small minded negativity of my life.
I've not seen those comments but Mark mentioned them in a Guardian piece last week.
I can't figure out why anyone has an issue with it. He's not trying to beat the unsupported record (Wikipedia), he's doing something different. They are just miserable tossers with nothing better to do than take pot shots at someone else's achievements.
As someone who rides a bike daily it's difficult for me to comprehend the scale of what he has done over those 79 days.
Mark may not be trying to beat the unsupported record, but as Gunniess doesn't differentiate between supported and unsupported, he's wiping all previous records from the books. That's why he's getting stick for his "record".
Plus, the fact he's made it a corporate thing and will likely now have a BBC documentary about it and write a book and go on tour.....etc.
Unbelievable, kudos, chapeau!
Still, he was planning on 80 days, so I wonder if he will go for a ride tomorrow anyway.
I suspect he'll probably be asleep!
Chapeau Mark!
His journey was the first endurance event I followed and it has trully been inspiring.