Sam Sunderland just couldn't stay out of the news this past week. The two-time Dakar winner retired from competitive racing after the 2024 Dakar, and you'd think he'd be enjoying some well-earned downtime. Instead, he's racing Romaniacs' newly-minted Adventure Lite class and also trying to take down a world record that's stood for 23 years.
The British Red Bull athlete has set his sights on breaking the world record for the fastest time to circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle, which currently stands at 19 days, 8 hours, and 25 minutes. But when you hear what actually goes into making this attempt a reality, it's ridiculous.
To break the record, Sunderland will need to cross 15 countries, enter 5 continents, 13 time zones, and average nearly 1,000 miles per day for 19 days. I've heard of an iron butt ride—is this a diamond butt ride?
Speaking to the difficulty of the ride, Sunderland said, “I know this challenge will test me to the core – physically and mentally... But that’s exactly why I’m doing it. I thrive on the unknown – figuring things out as I go. I’m not here to just edge past the record. I want to set a new bar, one that makes the next person really earn it, just like I have to now.”
Like any world record, there are, of course, rules. Sunderland needs to stay true to the parameters of the record that was set in 2002. His journey must be continuous and follow a single direction around the globe. He needs to start and finish at the same location, touch two antipodal points (locations on earth that are diametrically opposed to one another), and cover a minimum of 18,000 miles. All of this, he must do on the same bike—this is about the only thing that'll make his life easier.
The time he's trying to beat excludes ocean crossings, during which the official clock is paused.
Sunderland's steed will be a Triumph 1200 Rally Explorer, and this is the only thing that makes the idea of traveling roughly the length of the UK every day seem borderline doable—given the option, I reckon this is the bike I'd choose. If you don't think this is a test of physical and mental strength, I challenge you to do just one 1,000-mile ride, and then imagine doing 18 more.
“There’ll be days when I’m out there for 15 or 16 hours in the cold and rain, heat and humidity, fighting the wind, battling exhaustion, and the mental fatigue. This, plus jetlag, and crazy time zones – It’s going to be brutal.”
Sunderland will set off from London this September, and you can follow his journey on Red Bull UK channels. I wouldn't have Sunderland successfully breaking the record down as a foregone conclusion because, well, Murphy's Law, so I'll be tuning in along the way.
