Round the world Edinburgh cyclist Mark Beaumont breaks record time for fastest ride round NC500

Cyclist Mark Beaumont has broken the record for the fastest ride around the North Coast 500 route.

The Scottish long-distance rider set off from Inverness Castle at 8am on Saturday, September 24, crossing the finish line shortly after 12.30pm the following day setting a new record of 28 hours 35 minutes.

The record attempt was filmed by the Global Cycling Network for a GCN+ documentary, which is set to be released by the end of the year.

Beaumont’s time beat the previous record which was set by Robbie Mitchell last year by around half an hour, and is subject to verification from the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA).

Mitchell had previously completed the route 29 hours, five minutes and 42 seconds.

Off on a long bike ride. pic.twitter.com/21RSUta6gV
— Mark Beaumont (@MrMarkBeaumont) September 24, 2022

In 2015, Beaumont was the first rider to set a time for the NC500 route with a time of 37 hours, 56 minutes and 44 seconds – which he has now beaten seven years later by almost ten hours.

In his latest NC500 record attempt, he only paused his cycle for around 16 minutes throughout the entire ride, and while ten minute breaks had been scheduled they were not fully utilised.

The round-the-world biker endured high winds and rain, while maintaining an average speed of around 18.2mph.

Edinburgh-based Beaumont also holds the Guinness World Record for cycling around the world in 78 days, 14 hours, 40 minutes, and from Cairo to Cape Town in 42 days.

In a video he posted after completing the route, Beaumont said: “Back where we started. “That was a lot quicker than seven years ago. Stunning route, but absolutely brutal.

“I rode six hours on, and just like five minutes off.

“It was an amazing team effort, thanks everyone for supporting me.”