Cycling UK member Jenny Graham smashes round the world cycling record
- Scottish female cyclist, 38, has circumnavigated the globe by bike in 124 days (current record is 144 days)
- Arrived Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate on Thursday 18 October
- Jenny rode 18,000 miles across 16 countries, unsupported, carrying all her kit
- Faced sub-zero temperatures of Australian winter, bear risk in Canada and close-passing lorries on Trans-Siberian Highway
- Photos and video footage available
A 38-year-old woman from Inverness has broken the record for a female cycling around the world, knocking almost three weeks off the previous record of 144 days set by Italy’s Paola Gianotti in 2014.
Jenny Graham, who is part of The Adventure Syndicate, started her journey in Berlin on 16 June 2018.
She cycled 15 hours a day, sometimes riding at night when the roads were quieter. Jenny managed an average of 156 miles a day, keeping an average speed of 13mph for around 12 hours a day.
The 18,000-mile route took her across four continents and through 16 countries: Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Mongolia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. She took four flights and a boat.
Jenny was met by a crowd of supporters at the Brandenburg Gate including her son, mum and sister.
I knew I wanted to do something solo to test my physical and mental ability. I am the fittest I have ever been, so I thought I’d train hard and give it a go – here I am back in Berlin, I can hardly believe it
Jenny Graham
Jenny said: “I just set out to see how far I could go. The furthest I’ve cycled before was from Land’s End to John O’Groats, now I have cycled right around the world. It’s sometimes been tough, but I thrive on challenges on the road and of course it has also been so amazing!”
“I knew I wanted to do something solo to test my physical and mental ability. I am the fittest I have ever been, so I thought I’d train hard and give it a go – here I am back in Berlin, I can hardly believe it.”
Jenny’s whole journey was tracked by GPS, with thousands of fans checking the live stream to see how far she had travelled.
To make the record official, Guinness World Records will need to ratify the data. If her record is confirmed, both the male and female round the world cycling records will be held by Scots.
The fastest circumnavigation by bicycle (male) record is held by Cycling UK member Mark Beaumont. It took him 78 days with a full support team in 2017.
Mark said: “Just phenomenal riding and all the way with a smile, with a cheer, with a sense of humility and the excitement of the unknown around the corner. Hopefully we’ll have two Scots holding the circumnavigation in world records by bicycle – brilliant!”
Cycling UK has been inspiring people to explore the world by bike for 140 years.
The charity’s Chief Executive Paul Tuohy said: “Jenny is following in a great tradition of Brits who have set off by bike and had an amazing adventure. Jenny’s record-breaking trip shows that you don’t need to be a professional athlete to turn a love of cycling into an inspirational journey – she has certainly encouraged others to see they are so much more capable than they think they are.”
Messages of congratulations
Notes to editors
- Cycling UK, the national cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. More than a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone: www.cyclinguk.org
- Jenny Graham is a Cycling UK member and one of our 100 Women in Cycling 2018
- You can follow Jenny Graham’s journey in real-time via a GPS tracker http://theadventuresyndicate.com/round-the-world/
- Photos and video footage are available at https://www.skyfish.com/p/cyclinguk/
- Jenny Graham is a member of The Adventure Syndicate, a collective of female endurance cyclists whose aim is to increase levels of self-belief and confidence in others (especially in women and girls) by telling inspiring stories, creating an encouraging community and delivering enabling workshops and training. They do this because they love the way adventuring by bike makes them feel and they passionately believe we are all capable of so much more than we think we are
- Jenny Graham fundraised for this record attempt by holding a bike raffle
- She is also is sponsored by Shand, Leigh Day Cycling, Endura, Apidura, Unitas Global, John Hampshire Coaching, Hunt Wheels, Ritchey, Evans Cycles and Komoot
- Details of world record attempts are on the Guinness World Record site
- The late Mike Hall’s round the world by cycling unsupported journey
- Round the world cycling record holders
- Earlier this year Jenny Graham rode Land’s End to John o’ Groats in four days
Press contact information
For more information contact the Cycling UK Press Office on 01483 238 315, 07786 320 713 or email [email protected]
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