Cycling Hawthorne Bridge, Portland © stop.down
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After braving snakes, heat, floods, and saddle sores for 195 days, 25 year old Mark Beaumont from Fife completed his around-the-world journey on his bicycle, beating the previous record of 276 days.
The journey which began on the 5th of August last year had Mark cycle his way through 20 countries including Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia and the US.
The road to the record books was bumpy at times — at one point, Mark was knocked off his bicycle in Louisiana, by a lady running a red light. That accident smashed up his bike, forcing him to stay in a motel which, unknown to him, was a drug den of sorts. He got robbed of his wallet and camera, which he was using to film his journey.
At the finishing line at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Mark was greeted by his wife, parents and sisters. His mother took care of contacting embassies, booking flights and arranging for his bike to be serviced, so the journey could go smoothly.
The folks at Guinness World Records say they are waiting for documentation to confirm his record.