History
Nick Sanders
Nick Sanders completed a notable ride in 1984,[4] riding 13,609 miles (21,900 km) around the Northern Hemisphere in 138 days, although this ride did not meet the requirements to be recognised as a GWR record.[citation needed]
Jay Aldous & Matt DeWaal
From 2 April to 16 July 1984 Jay Aldous and Matt DeWaal rode 22,997 km/14,290 miles in 106 days, riding a greater distance in a shorter time than Nick Sanders in 1981. Aldous and DeWaal started and ended in Salt Lake City, US, and traveled in an easterly direction passing through 15 different countries.
Andrew Slodkowski
In December 1993, Andrew Slodkowski (Andrzej Słodkowski) rode "Around the World in 80 days on a bicycle". He started and ended in London UK, and traveled in an easterly direction passing through 14 different countries.[5]
Steve Strange
Steve Strange, an Englishman, achieved Guinness's "Fastest True Circumnavigation of the Globe by Bicycle": 276 days.[6] On 13 February 2005, he completed the first record attempt under the new Guinness rules, achieving a world record of 276 days and 19 hours.[citation needed][n 1]
Phil White
In April 2005, Phil White completed a record attempt in an estimated 299 days.[7] His time did not beat the one set two months earlier by Steve Strange.
Mark Beaumont (2008)
On 14 February 2008, Mark Beaumont completed a circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle in 194 days and 17 hours.[8]
James Bowthorpe
In September 2009 James Bowthorpe completed an eastward circumnavigation, starting and ending in London, in 176 days.[9][n 2] This was not ratified by Guinness World Records.[10]
Julian Sayarer
In December 2009 Julian Sayarer, a London-based cycle courier, completed a circumnavigation, starting at Rouen and going through Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan and China as far as Shanghai; Bangkok to Singapore; the length of New Zealand; Vancouver to the east coast of the US; and finally from Lisbon back to Rouen. The time was first described as 165 days,[11] and ratified by Guinness at 169 days.[12] Sayarer's blog about the ride is at This Is Not for Charity.
Vin Cox
On 1 August 2010, Vin Cox completed an unsupported circumnavigation of the globe, which was certified by Guinness as the new world record with a time of 163 days, 6 hours, 58 minutes.[13]
Alan Bate
On 4 August 2010, Alan Bate completed the circumnavigation in 106 days 10 hours and 33 minutes,[14] which was ratified by Guinness World Records in January 2012.[10][n 3]
Mike Hall
On 4 June 2012, Mike Hall completed his circumnavigation (from Greenwich, eastwards to Greenwich) in 91 days 18 hours.[14] His ride was totally unsupported. After the ride, Guinness World Records changed the rules to include total travel time. Under the new rules Hall recorded a time of 107 days 2 hours 30 minutes, which was not ratified by Guinness World Records.[15]
Juliana Buhring
On 21 December 2012, Juliana Buhring, of British–German nationality (though born in Greece), arrived back in Naples to complete a circumnavigation in 152 days including total travel time, becoming the first woman to attempt and to complete a circumnavigation of the world by bicycle using a route that complies with the requirements of Guinness World Records. This was an unsupported ride.[4][16]
Thomas Großerichter
On 31 December 2012, Thomas Großerichter, from Germany, completed a supported circumnavigation in 105 days 1 hour and 44 minutes.[17] This was not certified by Guinness World Records.
Lee Fancourt
On 13 June 2014, Lee Fancourt completed a circumnavigation in 103 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes. This was not ratified by Guinness World Records. Fancourt's record attempt was disqualified after failing to return to the point in India where he took a taxi in order to help out his support crew.[18]
Paola Gianotti
Paola Gianotti started and finished at Ivrea, Turin, Italy, from 8 March to 30 November 2014: 144 days. This was a supported ride. During her voyage, on 16 May 2014, Gianotti was injured in a road accident which resulted in a fractured vertebra. Although the Guinness World Record rules state that the clock does not stop, Gianotti's time was frozen for four months till she recovered and resumed her attempt on 18 September 2014.[n 4] This was ratified at the time by Guinness as being the world record, but much debated at the time.[19][20]
Andrew Nicholson
Former speedskater Andrew Nicholson (New Zealand) completed an unsupported circumnavigation 29,179 km in 123 days, 1 hour and 6 minutes.[21] The ride, which was unsupported, was recognized by Guinness.[22] Nicholson started and ended his journey at Auckland International Airport, New Zealand, between 12 August and 13 December 2015.[citation needed]
Mark Beaumont (2017)
On 18 September 2017, Mark Beaumont arrived in Paris having completed a supported circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle in 78 days 14 hours, and 40 minutes. This beat his previous unsupported attempt by 115 days and beat the previous world record by 44 days and 10 hours and should be regarded as the record. This attempt was verified by Guinness World Records as he finished in Paris.[23] The BBC reported, "During the trip, Mark was also awarded the Guinness World Records title for the most miles cycled in a month, from Paris to Perth, Australia, verified at 7,031 miles (11,315km)".[23] Beaumont had significant support on his ride from a "base camp" team who stayed in Scotland, and "on the road" teams who followed in camper vans which provided him a comfortable place to rest when off the bike. The support team covered duties ranging from preparing his meals and ensuring optimum nutrition, optimising his route to avoid ratification pitfalls, providing massages to help alleviate the discomfort of spending long hours in the same position, and psychological support during low points.[24][25]
Vedangi Kulkarni (2018)
Between July and December 2018, Vedangi Kulkarni, a native of Pune studying at Bournemouth University, attempted to become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the world on bicycle. Although she did not succeed in this, she was the "fastest Asian" to do so. Her journey started at Perth, crossing to Brisbane, crossing New Zealand, from Vancouver to Halifax, across Iceland, from Portugal to Finland, across Russia, 4,000 km across India to Kolkata; and from there flying to Perth for a 15 km ride to the starting point. The ride took 159 days as far as Kolkata and its distance exceeded 29,000 km. Kulkarni was 19 when she started and 20 when she finished the ride.[26] She became "the fourth fastest woman to cycle round the world, as well as the youngest".[27][28]
Jenny Graham (2018)
On 18 October 2018 Jenny Graham arrived in Berlin having completed an unsupported circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle in 124 Days, 10 hours and 50 minutes.[29] This has now been verified by Guinness World Records and as such is the new woman's record.[30]
Caroline Soubayroux & David Ferguson (2021-2022)
In September 2021, Caroline Soubayroux and David Ferguson, a married couple based in London, left from The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel to try and set a new Guinness world record circumnavigation for a married couple on two bikes.[31] Both of them took a six-month sabbatical leave from their full-time career in Investment Banking and Orthopaedic Surgery to allow for the trip.[32] The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant they suffered delays and rode a majority of their circumnavigation in the Southern Hemisphere, crossing South America and Africa.[33] Their attempt was fully unsupported with the exception of the Australian leg where a camping van driven by Ferguson's father provided camp for the night. New Zealand being closed at the time of their travel, their antipodal point was Honolulu in Hawaii, the archipelago being the antipode of Botswana. Soubayroux and Ferguson successfully completed their circumnavigation on 16 April 2022. The record was checked and validated by Guinness on 28 April 2023.