New World Record
Mark Beaumont, from Perthshire, arrived in Paris one day ahead of schedule after cycling 18,000 miles around the world in 79 days.
In 2008 Mark set a new world record of 194 days. Since then it has been broken by other riders, with the last record set at 123 days.
To achieve his goal, Mark has cycled an average 240 miles a day.
He was on his bike for more than 16 hours a day and only slept for five hours each night.
Around the world in 79 days
Inspired by Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around The World In Eighty Days, he began his journey in Paris on 2 July and cycled through Europe, Russia, Mongolia and China.
He then cycled across Australia, up through New Zealand and across North America before the final “sprint finish” thorough Portugal, Spain and France.
During the trip, Mark was also awarded the Guinness World Records title for the most miles cycled in a month, from Paris to Perth in Australia, verified at 7,031 miles (11,315km).
He said: “Ultimately, the magic ingredient that you need to be able to do something like this is grit, just the ability to suffer.
“Physically, of course, I’m incredibly sore but what you learn very quickly is there’s a big difference between hurting and being injured. I’m not injured, although it will take time for the body to recover.
“For one thing, I think I’d struggle to walk up and down a flight of steps at the moment because I’ve not really walked since 2 July.”
A crowd of well-wishers was waiting for the cyclist as he pedalled up to the Arc de Triomphe, completing the 240 miles of this last leg.
Mark began long-distance cycling at the age of 12 when he rode 145 miles across Scotland.
He was supported by a team including a mechanic, nutritionist, physiotherapist and manager.
The adventurer is raising funds for Orkidstudio, which works to benefit communities worldwide through innovative architecture and construction.
You can also watch a short film highlighting the joys of winter cycling by Mark Beaumont and Markus Stitz.
