Mark Beaumont to break cycling records with 80 day world circumnavigation

Cycling star Mark Beaumont, best known for cycling around the world in 194 days in 2008, will take ultra-endurance to another level with an attempt to circumnavigate the globe in less than half that time

Beaumont will attempt to travel 18,000 miles around the world, starting from Paris on Sunday 2 July. As a warm up to the Artemis World Cycle, he will first cycle around the coastline of Britain, leaving on 4th April. The 3,500 miles, 15-day training ride will be at ’80 days’ pace, with Beaumont cycling for 16 hours and 240 miles per day.

As part of his mission to travel around the world in 80 days (breaking the current world record of 123 days, set by New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson) the Scottish adventurer is raising funds for Orkidstudio, which works to benefit communities worldwide through innovative architecture and construction. The journey will also be tracked through Twinkl, a global educational platform for primary schools.

“This is the culmination of the past two decades, since I was a 12-year-old boy cycling across Scotland,” says Beaumont. “I would love for this journey to give people the confidence to take on what they are capable of, for young people in particular to stop and to think ‘what’s my 80 days’?”

“I want to redefine the limits of human endurance by proving what seems impossible really is possible.  After capsizing in the Atlantic, I gave up being an athlete for a couple of years, and enjoyed making documentaries about other athletes – but in truth I had unfinished business. I couldn’t idly watch others push their limits. I am excited and nervous about what lies ahead – it truly is unchartered territory.”

 Mark Beaumont world cycle circumnavigation 1

While cycling around the coastline of Britain, Beaumont is expected to drink between eight and ten litres of water per day (the average person drinks two litres) and consume 8,000kcal. Members of the public are encouraged to turn out to support him as he visits towns and cities across the country. The approximate schedule is:

Date (Apr)

Location

Time

4

Dover

10:00

Brighton

15:30

Chichester

18:00

Southampton

20:00

5

Bournemouth

5:20

Dorchester

7:30

Exmouth

10:30

Plymouth

15:00

Truro

19:00

Penzance

21:30

6

Padstow

9:00

Barnstaple

14:30

7

Cardiff

9:00

Swansea

12:30

St Davids

21:30

8

Aberystwyth

10:00

Bangor

20:30

9

Llandudno

8:30

Liverpool

12:30

Preston

16:00

Lancaster

20:00

10

Carlisle

11:30

Dumfries

14:30

Kirkcudbright

17:00

11

Ayr

9:30

Cambletown

15:00

12

Mallaig

8:00

Isleornsay

10:00

Gairloch

18:30

13

Thurso

17:00

John O Groats

18:00

14

Inverness

8:30

Aberdeen

19:00

15

Dundee

8:00

St Andrews

9:00

Edinburgh

12:00

16

Newcastle

5:00

Hull

17:00

Skegness

21:00

17

King’s Lynn

8:00

Lowestoft

14:30

Ipswich

18:30

18

Southend-on-Sea

7:00

Tilbury

9:00

Gravesend

10:00

 

Beaumont has also secured international sponsorship from brands including Artemis Investment Management, LDC, VisitScotland, Koga, Casio, Moonsport, Altura, Panaracer, Wiggle, Cardtronics, Tunnocks, The Hunter Foundation, John Clark Motor Group, Scot Motor Home Hire, 80 DAYS Digital, Muckle Media, Menzies Aviation, Thorntons Law LLP and Edinburgh Airport to help support his journey.

OAG