ENDURANCE athlete Mark Beaumont made headline news in September when he became the fastest man to cycle around the globe. The Scottish adventurer talks to OSCAR LYNCH ahead of his much-anticipated appearance at next month's Kendal Mountain Festival

ON his way to obliterating the record for travelling around the world by bike, endurance athlete Mark Beaumont cycled 18,000 miles in 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes.

He endured freezing temperatures, three crashes, a fractured elbow and damaged teeth in his successful attempt to go Around the World in 80 Days.

"I'm delighted and relieved to have completed the challenge," he says.

"I sensed at the beginning that a lot of people were wondering whether it was even possible, so to complete it in under 80 days was fantastic."

After setting off from Paris on July 2, interest in Beaumont's challenge steadily grew as he progressed across Eastern Europe, Mongolia and China before flying south to continue the journey through Australia and New Zealand.


Another flight took him from New Zealand to Alaska, and from there he headed east across North America. The Edinburgh-based adventurer captured international headlines when he completed the circumnavigation in the French capital on September 18 - a day ahead of the Jules Verne-inspired target.

"It was the longest two-and-a half months of my life. But the public interest since I finished the journey has been crazy.

"The media attention has been quite full-on - and though the response has been incredible, it has been hard to stop and get any perspective on it myself."

And the achievement certainly deserves perspective: he comfortably beat the previous record of 123 days which was set by New Zealander Andrew Nicholson in 2015. Each day Beaumont summoned the physical and mental stamina necessary to complete 16 hours and 240 miles of cycling, all while functioning on 5 hours of sleep. Most of the 9,000 calories needed to complete such a feat were eaten whilst he was pedalling.

So after redefining the limits of human endurance, the 34-year-old can be forgiven for taking a few weeks to rest.

He is set to tell his fascinating story at Kendal Mountain Festival, where he makes an appearance as a featured speaker on Sunday November 19.

"I've got two kids, so I need to spend some time with the family - but I'm also looking forward to Kendal Mountain Festival and the other events we have planned over the next few months."

Along with spending time with his young family - he was greeted at the finish line by wife Nicci and daughters Harriet, four, and Willa, one - physical recuperation has been the priority for Beaumont since completing the journey.

"I've got a two month training-down schedule, along with a bunch of medical stuff I had to do straight away.

"It's about making sure I don't have any long-term effects from the ride. So lots of stretching and flexibility work."

Two crashes left the adventurer with injuries that required treatment, and scans revealed Beaumont's bone density had decreased due to not standing up or walking - a symptom seen frequently in astronauts who spend extended periods in space.

"I'm in better shape than anyone expected - I was well looked after on the road - but the reality is that I didn't walk for two months, so I need to normalise my fitness.

"I also need to sort my left elbow which was fractured during the ride, and undergo some root canal surgery on my teeth - they were damaged quite badly after a crash in Moscow."

The latter incident left Beaumont with a badly chipped tooth, forcing performance director Laura Penhaul to attempt to rebuild the tooth under email instruction from a dentist in the UK.

The team persisted through these collisions, as well as an array of weather and logistical challenges. Did any of the trials force him to contemplate giving up?

"No. I was never tempted to give in. The clear focus was always to get around the world in 80 days, and I never doubted that.

"I had three crashes and they were all serious, but with a crash at least there's adrenaline and action to take your mind off the pain. It's all hands on deck, and it's a question of 'can we get back on the road?'.

"The toughest times came later on in the journey - a couple of months in when you're most sleep deprived, the weeks where there's not much energy or morale left in the tank."

But agony and exhaustion are temporary, fleeting, and the moments of inspiration afforded by touring the world on two wheels are the ones that will stay with Mark forever.

"You have to appreciate the incredible adventure you're on. My favourite moments were provided by Mongolia, the Gobi desert through Northern China, the South Island of New Zealand, places like Queenstown and Wanaka.

"Down through the Yukon in Canada we cycled through herds of wood bison and past bears on the road - it's pretty cool stuff.

"While you're absorbed in this 80-day race around the planet, you're still having an incredible adventure."

Kendal Mountain Festival is familiar territory for the Scotsman, with the geography of the area providing the perfect natural training ground for any budding endurance athlete.

"I've spent a lot of time fell running, mountain biking and cycling in the Lake District. I have many friends who live in the area as it's such a Mecca for outdoor and adventure sports."

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In preparation for the round the world effort, Beaumont undertook a 15-day cycle around the entire British coastline this spring. On the sixth day of this 'warm-up' he tackled the windswept Furness peninsula before completing some challenging climbs in North-West Cumbria.

"It was cold!" he recalls. "I cycled the Cumbrian part back in April, so encountered some fairly inclement weather. I was joined by a friend who lives locally, Bruce Duncan, who is an adventure racer himself and rode with me through that portion."

A lifelong adventurer and an endurance cyclist since the age of 12, Beaumont's thoughts naturally move towards the next challenge.

"The next year will be incredibly busy, and I'll be back on the bike again at some point. But Around the World in 80 Days was my Everest as a bike ride, so I can't think of how I could possibly trump that."

The desire to push the boundaries of human achievement is evident in Mark Beaumont's voice. Just don't expect an attempt on his own record any time soon.

"I'll always need to get my fix, to push myself to the very limit. But I won't be trying to go around the world again, I can tell you that."

Mark Beaumont will be speaking at Kendal Mountain Festival 2017, which runs from Thursday November 16 to Sunday 19. For a full programme and to book tickets, visit www.mountainfest.co.uk